Fleur Au Fusil put the seal on a momentous weekend for Willie Mullins with victory in the Coolmore N.H. Sires “Hurricane Lane” Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race that brought the Dublin Racing Festival to a close.
Having already landed all eight Grade Ones over the course of the two days at Leopardstown, the champion trainer made it nine winners overall in the Grade Two finale.
Mullins was triple-handed, with his son Patrick siding three-time winner Aurora Vega, the 5-6 favourite, and nephew Charlie aboard impressive Thurles scorer Femme Magnifique.
That left Jody Townend to keep the ride on Fleur Fusil (10-1), and having guided the six-year-old to a debut success at Naas in November the partnership struck gold again with a two-and-a-half-length verdict from Switch From Diesel. Aurora Vega had to make do with minor honours in fourth.
“Jody was excellent on the mare, the mare was good and Jody gets on very well with her. It was an excellent performance,” said Mullins.
“It’s not the instructions you would give to anyone, to jump off and run away at halfway and still win!
“I haven’t a clue whether we’ll go to Cheltenham or Aintree, this is her Gold Cup for the moment.”
Stuart Crawford’s 20-1 shot Brucio came home best of all to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle.
Following a Grade One treble on Saturday, Danny Mullins looked set to add to his tally after going clear aboard Minx Tiara, but the petrol gauge began to empty on the run-in and it was recent Catterick scorer Brucio who ran her down before kicking six lengths clear under J J Slevin.
“J J had her in a great position and she jumped very well for a lightly raced mare. There were a couple of hares in front and luckily they have just gone a bit too hard. She’s won well in the end,” said Crawford.
“She’s been steadily improving and won in Catterick the last day, which was a good piece of race selection by Anthony (Bromley).
“We were in a different ball game today, but it has given her a bit of confidence. She has a wee touch of class about her, and it couldn’t have gone any better on the day.
“We have plenty of options now and we could think about the mares’ novice in Cheltenham or a good handicap somewhere.”
Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore successfully combined in the O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase, with Heart Wood (6-1) stretching 16 lengths clear of his rivals.
De Bromhead said: “He had a couple of nice runs in beginners chases and in all fairness it seemed a reasonable mark.
“We said we’d aim for here today and we’re delighted to win this. We’ll see what the handicapper thinks and then sit down and decide where we go.”
The Harry Rogers-trained Lord Erskine was a shock 40-1 winner of the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle, with Darragh O’Keeffe delivering his mount with a late charge to beat Magical Zoe and Zenta by three and a half lengths and a nose respectively.
“Darragh knows him well and was very good on him. I was a bit worried about the ground but Darragh said it was no problem,” said an emotional Rogers.
“I could never get him into a good race with a light weight and it was the same on the Flat. He’d a proper weight on his back today and there was a good gallop which suited him.
“His (late) owner Jerry Nolan was a pure gentleman. I rode winners for him and having an owner like him, you couldn’t buy them. He was easy to train for.”
Henry de Bromhead is inclined to look towards Aintree rather than Cheltenham with Bob Olinger following his excellent effort in defeat behind State Man in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.
The high-class nine-year-old has thrived for a return to the smaller obstacles, winning the Lismullen Hurdle in November before following up in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
The Irish Champion represented a much sterner test and also a drop in distance to two miles, but the popular gelding acquitted himself with real credit under Rachael Blackmore, with only arguably the best hurdler outside of Constitution Hill being too good.
Owned by Brian Acheson under his Robcour banner, Bob Olinger is twice a Cheltenham Festival winner, landing the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and adding the Turners Novices’ Chase 12 months later.
“We were delighted with how he ran,” said De Bromhead.
“I had a little dream for a second when he looked up turning in, but State Man is such a good horse.
“I’d say we’ll aim for Aintree now with him.”
Willie Mullins reflected on a weekend of “fantasy horse racing” at the Dublin Racing Festival after securing all eight Grade Ones prizes up for grabs across the two-day fixture for the first time.
The Closutton handler has dominated the high-profile meeting since its inception in 2018, although he had hitherto not quite found the correct combination to mop up all the top-level prizes in the same year.
But having once again sent an army of equine superstars to Leopardstown, Mullins completed a Grade One clean sweep, at odds of nearly 6,505-1 – an achievement the all-conquering champion trainer insisted he does not take for granted.
He said: “It’s been a superb weekend. You see the team in action this weekend and I’m delighted for them, I’m delighted for my owners and my staff, it’s terrific.
“It’s extraordinary, we know that. Everything has come together – we have tremendous owners who invest in Irish racing and they love it.
“It’s tremendous to have people from abroad bringing money like that into Irish racing and we’re the beneficiaries – we’re very lucky.”
Galopin Des Champs starred in the trainer’s Saturday four-timer as he defended his crown in the Irish Gold Cup, ensuring he will be a short price to do the same in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month.
It is further evidence of the huge strength in depth that Mullins has at his disposal that he won the other three Grade One races on the first day with apparent second, third and even fourth strings.
The champion trainer’s nephew Danny Mullins enjoyed a treble, getting off to a flying start aboard rank outsider Dancing City in the curtain-raising Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle before landing the Spring Juvenile Hurdle and the Irish Arkle on Kargese and Il Etait Temps respectively.
On Sunday the results were a little more predictable, with State Man making it back-to-back wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle, Ballyburn justifying odds-on favouritism in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle and El Fabiolo cementing his status as Queen Mother Champion Chase favourite with a clear-cut win in the Dublin Chase.
The only minor upset among the four Mullins winners on day two was Fact To File’s defeat of better-fancied stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, with the latter exiting when well held at the final fence.
Mullins added: “You can’t get much better – it’s fantasy horse racing, isn’t it?
“We bring the horses here and as you saw a lot of our second strings won yesterday, it was amazing and Danny had a tremendous day.
“They’re all coming here on their merits for different owners and may the best one win on the day. You don’t know what will happen, look at Gaelic Warrior today – he was many people’s banker for the weekend and was a complete blowout. It’s not simple.”
Much has been made of Mullins’ increasing dominance on the National Hunt scene, with the fact he saddled the only two runners to go to post in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase clearly disappointing.
“It’s unfortunate,” he admitted. “Grangeclare West wasn’t right this morning and we withdrew him, I never dreamt (Gordon Elliott’s) American Mike would come out, I don’t know what happened there.
“It is unfortunate, but we run everything we can anyway. We just aim for these festivals and hope that ours turn up and as you see, they don’t all turn up.
“Yesterday we had a couple of favourites beaten, it’s racing and that’s why you have to come to the races and find out. If I was punting, I’d be losing my tonsils I’d say!”
A rematch with the mighty Constitution Hill looms large for State Man following a comfortable defence of his Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle crown at Leopardstown.
Since falling on his first start for Willie Mullins at this track in December 2021, State Man has been the dominant force in the division in Ireland, winning nine of his next 10 outings.
His only defeat during that period came at the hands of Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill, who proved nine lengths too strong in the Champion Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
And while State Man clearly has his work cut out to turn the tables in the Cotswolds next month, he confirmed his status as the reigning champion’s biggest threat with an eighth Grade One victory under Paul Townend.
Having been unable to reel in his stablemate in the Matheson Hurdle in December, Impaire Et Passe this time set out to make all the running under Daryl Jacob, with State Man (2-5 favourite) his nearest pursuer.
State Man took over travelling strongly before the home turn and was always doing enough in the straight to keep a resurgent Bob Olinger at bay, with five and a half lengths separating the pair at the line.
Coral left the winner unchanged at 3-1 for the Champion Hurdle, with Constitution Hill their 1-5 favourite.
El Fabiolo continued his relentless march towards next month’s Queen Mother Champion Chase with a dominant display in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.
Winner of the Irish Arkle at this meeting last year before following up in the Arkle at Cheltenham, the seven-year-old had stretched his unbeaten record over fences to six when making a successful start to the current campaign in the Hilly Way at Cork.
With the weather denying him an intended trip to Britain for the Clarence House Chase at Ascot last month, El Fabiolo was rerouted to the Dublin Racing Festival for his final outing before his return to the Cotswolds and ultimately got the job done without too much fuss.
Having tracked his stablemate and last year’s winner Gentleman De Mee for most of the two-mile-one-furlong journey, El Fabiolo (4-11 favourite) took over with a big leap two fences from home and was in in full command thereafter, only having to be pushed out by Paul Townend to score by eight and a half lengths from another Willie Mullins-trained runner in Dinoblue.
Both Coral and Paddy Power make El Fabiolo the 4-9 market leader to provide Mullins with a third successive victory in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following the back-to-back wins of the currently sidelined Energumene.
Ballyburn further enhanced his burgeoning reputation with an emphatic victory in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.
A dual bumper winner but beaten by Firefox on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old put that right with a 25-length demolition job at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The son of Flemensfirth was the 10-11 favourite to successfully step up to Grade One level at the Dublin Racing Festival, and the drop in distance from two-and-a-half to two miles proved to be no problem whatsoever.
Paul Townend positioned Ballyburn close to the pace from flag-fall and having travelled well into the home straight, he readily kicked clear as he raced by the omitted final flight and passed the post with seven lengths in hand over Slade Steel.
Mullins said: “It was a great performance, I’m absolutely delighted. He met hurdle after hurdle right and was in control the whole way. Paul was very happy with how he did things.
“He did everything right over the minimum trip, which is good.
“He has a very low head carriage which is usually a good sign in a horse, I like it, but it’s not nice for the jockeys at times.”
Ballyburn heads ante-post lists for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, with Mullins in no rush to commit to either race at this stage.
He added: “I’m going to talk about today and leave it at that.”
George Ford has called on England to build on the attacking endeavour shown against Italy when their Guinness Six Nations continues against Wales at Twickenham.
Although outscored 3-2 on the try count, England honoured their pre-match pledge to play with greater freedom after releasing the handbrake imposed by the kick-focussed tactics used during the first year of Steve Borthwick’s reign.
Roaming wing Tommy Freeman, scrum-half Alex Mitchell, debutant Ethan Roots and Ford himself were influential in a pleasing pivot away from the conservatism seen at the World Cup.
While England’s ambition dimmed after half-time of the 27-24 victory in Rome, Ford views the opener as a promising start.
“I know the scoreboard says it was very close, but that second half, we were pretty comfortable,” Ford said.
“The main positives for me were how we responded to them scoring tries, how it felt when we were trying to fire shots in attack and then how we controlled the game in the second half.
“Our intent to play and move the ball was good and I’m really pleased about that. It’s always a balance. You always want to make good decisions and do the right thing at the right time.
“At the very front of our minds is the intent to play, the intent to get behind the ball and attack the defence and go and try and break the line and scores tries.
“Since coming into camp two weeks ago, that’s been the biggest mindset shift from us as a team.
“This is the first game and we’ve been trying to implement that. We could have made better decisions a couple of times but playing in it was pretty exciting. We want to build this.
“I want to keep the intent to play, break the line and score tries and probably pick our execution up when we’ve got the ball.
“We understand it’s going to be a tough day – it always is against Wales – but we’re really excited to keep on getting better.
“There has been a mindset shift in defence and attack that is really enjoyable to be a part of.”
For the first time since 2019, England began the Six Nations with a win as the Jamie George era began with five debuts being issued amid a call from the new captain to believe they can win the title.
Front runners Ireland will have a major say in that given their demolition of France in Marseille, but – in the meantime – Ford values a start that produced few mishaps other than lapses in the new defensive system.
“Winning the first game is huge. You always want to start this tournament with a win. It gives you a bit of momentum, confidence,” Ford said.
“You want to win that first game because you go back home to Twickenham against Wales, which is such an exciting game anyway, with a good result so that you can go again.”
Fact To File came home in splendid isolation after his stablemate and only rival Gaelic Warrior departed at the final fence when already well beaten in Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
An initial field of five was reduced to a Grade One match between two Willie Mullins-trained runners, with the champion trainer withdrawing Grangeclare West and Gordon Elliott taking out Saturday’s Irish Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty together with his stablemate American Mike.
The two-mile-five-furlong contest was predictably a tactical affair, with Paul Townend allowing 4-7 favourite Gaelic Warrior to stride on in front for much of the way while Mark Walsh was content to sit on his tail aboard 6-4 shot Fact To File.
The latter first joined issue early in the back straight before Gaelic Warrior went clear once more, but it was apparent on the approach to three out that Fact To File was going the better of the pair and he soon took over and asserted before the home turn.
The race was already over as a contest when a weary Gaelic Warrior made a bad mistake and unseated his rider at the final obstacle, allowing Fact To File to coast to what would have been an empathic victory in any case.
Paddy Power make Fact To File their 2-1 favourite from 4-1 for the Turners Novices’ Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, while he is 3-1 with Coral for the longer Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The Chicago Bulls will be without Zach LaVine for the rest of the campaign.
LaVine, who has had a stop-start season, will undergo surgery on a foot issue next week.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan confirmed on Saturday that LaVine, who has not played since mid-January due to an ankle sprain, had elected to go under the knife and will miss between four and six months.
"He made a decision he felt was best for his health," Donovan said.
"I really feel like he did everything he could to try to get himself back to playing.
"The discomfort in his foot was at a place where I think he didn't feel like he had any chance to be himself. That was the really frustrating part of it.
"He's kind of been in and out, but certainly you'd like to have a player of his calibre available.
"Now with the news coming out we'll have to play without him. I've always said when you lose really good players, it impacts your team."
Rio Dyer believes that Wales will need to back themselves and build on a stunning second-half display against Scotland when they tackle England at Twickenham next Saturday.
Although Wales lost a pulsating Guinness Six Nations clash 27-26 to the Scots, it could not overshadow the vintage rugby they conjured from nowhere.
Trailing by 27 points with almost half the game left, Wales were heading towards record Six Nations defeat territory at a frightening speed.
But four tries in 20 minutes from Dyer, James Botham, Aaron Wainwright and Alex Mann, plus three Ioan Lloyd conversions, left Scotland hanging on.
“We were in our shell during that first-half, ” Wales wing Dyer said.
“We were hitting it up and getting put on the back foot, so the only thing we could do then was to kick it.
“Gats (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) said at half-time: ‘let’s actually play, let’s go out there, we have got nothing to lose now. We are under the pump, so let’s go out and show what we can actually do’.
“He was softly spoken, he wasn’t shouting at people, he just brought the boys in and said we can’t be putting out performances like that in the first-half in the first game of the Six Nations.
“I think it was amazing to see how the boys stuck together.
“We are a young squad who have only been in camp for two weeks. It is just about getting used to each other, but throughout that second-half we showed what we could do.”
More of the same is likely to be required against England, whose recent Twickenham record in the fixture is an imposing one.
Wales have lost their last seven Tests in south-west London since claiming a 2015 World Cup pool win, with just two Six Nations victories – in 2008 and 2012 – since the competition expanded 24 years ago.
Dyer added: “I think that kind of second-half should give the boys the confidence to say we can back ourselves a little bit more than we did in the first-half.
“Personally, I just think it is that confidence to play. We need to back ourselves, and that was the message at half-time before we went back out there.
“Everyone is here for a reason, everyone has got things they can do, and let’s not go into our shells.
“It is about pushing ourselves as a young squad to build the momentum on to next week.”
Changes look likely to the Wales line-up against England, headlined by a fit-again George North’s anticipated return in midfield.
And given the considerable impact made by a number of his substitutes, Gatland could easily hand starts to players like scrum-half Tomos Williams, hooker Elliot Dee and prop Keiron Assiratti.
Gatland said: “We will go there (Twickenham) with a lot of confidence we can build on that second-half and belief. That is the biggest thing, really.
“I think we can go there and say we know what we want to do.”
Barry Connell remains at a loss to explain Marine Nationale’s disappointing performance in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown on Saturday.
A brilliant winner of last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, the seven-year-old made a foot-perfect start to his career over fences at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and was odds-on to add a third Grade One to his CV back at the Foxrock circuit.
However, while Marine Nationale briefly threatened to challenge rounding the home turn, he found little when push came to shove and was ultimately well beaten in fifth place.
Connell feels underfoot conditions may not have been ideal for his stable star, but will conduct further tests this week to try to discover if something else was amiss.
He said: “He seems fine this morning, but we’ll have to run a lot of further tests on him this week, so we won’t know until later in the week what the full clinical picture of him is.
“He’s sound anyway and seems to come out of the race OK, so we’re still a little bit in the dark.
“I’d say the ground definitely was harder going than it was at Christmas. They had no fresh ground, so it was probably tacky, holding ground, which wouldn’t be ideal.
“We just don’t know (what happened), but the horse had an off day and it won’t be until later in the week when we’ve finalised our checks on him.”
While Marine Nationale’s odds for the Arkle at Cheltenham next month obviously drifted in the aftermath of his defeat, he remains at the head of ante-post lists and Connell is hopeful he can show his true colours on his return to the Cotswolds.
He added: “Our intention is to just put a line through and head on to Cheltenham.
“He obviously showed a lot of speed in the Supreme last year, beating the winner from yesterday (Il Etait Temps) and Facile Vega (finished third on Saturday).
“Hopefully we’ll get spring ground at Cheltenham and he’s proven his liking for the track there.
“All these horses can get beat at some stage and unfortunately that was the case yesterday. We’ll just see if anything else emerges.”
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is less than impressed after Saturday's win over the Dallas Mavericks meant he is set to coach in the All-Star game.
Rivers picked up his first win as Bucks coach as Giannis' Antetokounmpo's 48 points inspired Milwaukee to a 129-117 comeback victory, while Damian Lillard had 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting.
Yet that victory means the Bucks' coach is now obligated to take charge of the Eastern Conference team in the All-Star game on February 18.
That is because Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics coach, is ineligible after coaching in the All-Star game last year. Given the Bucks have the second-best record in the East two weeks before the event, the task will fall to Rivers.
But after just three games in charge of his new team, Rivers – who replaced Adrian Griffin last month – was far from impressed with that outcome.
"It's ridiculously bad. It really is," Rivers said.
"Well, Adrian's going to get some money, that's for sure. And a ring. It's one of those quirky things.
"I think there should be a rule somehow that someone else does it, other than me. Maybe I'll send my staff, and I'll go on vacation.
"I'll run that by Adam Silver. Adam's a good man, I think he'll understand."
Luka Doncic finished with 40 points for the Mavericks, who lost a second straight game.
"Looking at what Milwaukee did, they just kept playing and took our best shot there in the first half and then ended the half on a positive with Dame making that three at the buzzer," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. "We didn't take care of the ball."
Stephen Curry was left frustrated after having no win to show for his 60-point haul in the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Curry scored a season-high 60 points, while recording six rebounds and four assists, but the Warriors went down 141-134 in overtime on Saturday.
The Warriors are now 21-25 for the season, and 12th in the Western Conference.
Having fallen just two shy of his career-best 62 points, Curry became the 10th player in NBA history to register multiple 60-point games.
Yet the four-time champion was left with a sour taste in his mouth after watching Trae Young lead the Hawks to a fourth straight win with his 35 points.
"It sucks to not have something to show for it," Curry said.
"It's frustrating, obviously, not coming away with the win knowing a couple plays here, a couple plays there could have been a different outcome. It just adds to our frustrating season."
Draymond Green chipped in with seven points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors, and despite the result, he was delighted to see Curry shine.
"It just seems he continues to get better, which is special at his age," Green said of Curry, while coach Steve Kerr added: "We competed like crazy but just couldn't get over the hump."
Young and Curry embraced on the court after the game, with the latter offering some advice to the Hawks star, who is averaging 27.3 points per game but missed out on an All-Star pick.
"I told him after the game it will all come back to him if he continues to approach the game in the right way," said Curry.
Scotland captain Finn Russell reflected on a range of emotions after his team ended their Cardiff hoodoo by thwarting an astonishing Wales fightback at the Principality Stadium.
A nerve-shredding 27-26 victory was Scotland’s first win in the Welsh capital since 2002, but it did not come before they were left staring at a 12th successive defeat as Wales threatened arguably the greatest Six Nations recovery act.
Having helped orchestrate a 27-point lead two minutes into the second half, Russell could have been excused for thinking it was a case of job done.
But Wales had other ideas, scoring four tries during 20 minutes of mayhem that included yellow cards for Scotland pair George Turner and Sione Tuipulotu, transforming what had been a hopelessly one-sided encounter.
Scotland also conceded 14 successive penalties, such was the ferocity and unrelenting nature of Wales’ all-court game.
Just when it was required, though, Scotland showed courage and composure during the closing minutes to dominate territory and go close to claiming a bonus-point fourth try.
“We had a really good first half and a brilliant start to the second, then a bit of complacency crept in,” Russell said.
“We had discipline issues in the second half which led to two yellow cards and them really getting on the front foot.
“But it showed that we’ve come quite a long way that we managed to win the game in the end. We held tough and did not allow them to get anything towards the end.
“I am probably a little bit disappointed with the second half, but overall it is a great start to the tournament for us. We’ve not won here in 22 years.
“We managed to dig it out in the end, but it shows how tough a place it (Cardiff) is to come. Wales never went away, and that was the pressure the team put us under, but also that the crowd getting involved.
“I’ve played in games with Scotland like that when we have lost, and that was the most pleasing thing, that we managed to find a way to win even though momentum, the crowd, everything was against us towards the end.
“There was loads of good stuff in that first half. With the way everything unfolded in the second half, I am a little bit down, a little bit frustrated, but when we look back there will be loads of positives to take.
“It (the second-half performance) was nowhere near where we need to be. But that is something we will address on Monday and we will build on the back of it and get ready for France (next weekend).”
Les Bleus will arrive at Murrayfield following a crushing defeat against Ireland, and Scotland can also take heart from beating France five times out of the last seven attempts in Edinburgh.
Their mission, though, will be undertaken without lock Richie Gray, who could miss the rest of this season’s Six Nations due to a biceps injury.
And flanker Luke Crosbie is a major doubt after hurting his shoulder, with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend stating: “Both are in a lot of pain.
“Richie and the medics knew straight away it was a biceps injury. So that doesn’t look good for this Championship.
“Luke was a shoulder injury. It’s a painful one and that might settle. Let’s hope he has not done any significant damage there.”
Ireland, England and Scotland made winning starts to the Guinness Six Nations on a dramatic opening weekend that provided many twists and turns.
Here, the PA news agency examines five things we learned from round one.
England broaden their horizons
While a too-close-for-comfort victory over Italy hardly paints a flattering picture of their performance in Rome, tactically the game was a welcome change in direction for England.
True to the word of Steve Borthwick and Jamie George, their head coach and captain, greater ambition was shown in attack than at the World Cup.
Marauding wing Tommy Freeman roaming the Stadio Olimpico provided the most obvious evidence of a change in thinking, but the sight of scrum-half Alex Mitchell taking on defenders in a way not seen at a kick-heavy France 2023 was possibly more telling.
Italy’s near miss
Italy making an encouraging start to the Six Nations before falling away in the later rounds is a familiar theme, but in Rome there were many impressive moments from the tournament’s perennial strugglers.
Not only was it the smallest margin of defeat in their 31 Tests against England, but the inspired Azzurri were sharp in attack with Tommaso Allan’s first-half try brilliantly constructed and finished.
They led 17-14 at the interval and outscored England 3-2 on the try count and should march into round two with a renewed sense of purpose even if it is Ireland they face.
A star is born
What Ireland’s rivals would give to have their own ‘Big’ Joe McCarthy, the hulking second-row who laid waste to France’s pack in a remarkable victory in Marseille.
A man-of-the-match performance on his Six Nations debut was evidence of his nation’s depth at lock with even the outstanding James Ryan unable to force his way into the starting XV.
McCarthy’s physicality was a throwback to old school tight five forward play and he took on the role of enforcer by bossing the collisions and breakdown as well as carrying hard. Every team should have one.
Les Bleus in post-World Cup limbo
The question of how France would recover from the crushing disappointment of exiting their home World Cup in the quarter-finals was answered emphatically at the Stade Velodrome.
Their hangover from the tournament was most visible in a passive defence, which was breached easily by Ireland.
It could be a long Six Nations unless Fabien Galthie finds the right buttons to push psychologically as well as providing a new sense of purpose in the wake of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity being snatched away by a one-point defeat by South Africa.
The great entertainers
Scotland feature heavily in the recent Netflix documentary on the Six Nations and they are undoubtedly box office, although not always for reasons they would appreciate.
From amassing a sensational 27-0 lead against Wales in swashbuckling fashion to almost falling victim to the greatest comeback in Championship history, they can dazzle and confound in equal measure.
And with magician fly-half Finn Russell – the self-anointed Lionel Messi of rugby – pulling the strings, you can not take your eyes off them.
Stephen Curry scored 60 points for the second-most in his career and made 10 3-pointers, but the Atlanta Hawks started fast in overtime in a 141-134 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Curry had eight points in overtime to notch the second 60-point game of his career, falling two points shy of matching his career high set against Portland on Jan. 3, 2021. He was 22 of 38 from the field, 10 of 23 from long range, and made all six free throws.
Dejounte Murray scored the last seven points in an 11-0 run to open overtime for the Hawks and finished with 19 points.
Curry’s second 3 of overtime drew Golden State within 136-131 with 67 seconds to play but Trae Young hit a floater and Jalen Johnson’s layup with 20 seconds left sealed the win.
Young scored 35 points with seven 3-pointers, and Onyeka Okongwu added a career-high 22 points and a season-best 16 rebounds for Atlanta, which has won a season high-tying four straight.
Lakers snap Knicks’ 9-game streak
LeBron James scored 24 points and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away down the stretch for a 113-105 victory to end the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak.
Austin Reaves had 22 points, D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince each scored 16 and Anthony Davis added 12 with 18 rebounds.
It was the second straight impressive road win for the Lakers after their 114-105 victory at NBA-leading Boston on Thursday.
Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 26 before fouling out. The Knicks were done in by a nearly seven-minute scoreless stretch in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers turned a 96-94 deficit into a 105-96 lead.
Antetokounmpo outduels Doncic in Bucks’ win
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 48 points and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 25-point deficit for their first win under coach Doc Rivers, 129-117 over the Dallas Mavericks.
Antetokounmpo shot 20 of 28 from the field to go with 10 assists and six rebounds as Milwaukee avoided a season-high third straight loss.
The Bucks, who lost their first two games under Rivers, started the rally with a 15-0 run in the final two minutes of the first half to get within five.
Damian Lillard added 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting and hit all five 3-point attempts.
Luka Dončić had 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to fall just shy of his 10th triple-double of the season.
Maxi Kleber scored 21 points and Josh Green had 20 with nine rebounds for Dallas, which had its biggest blown lead in a loss this season and dropped to 2-6 in its last eight games.
Conor Benn saw off the challenge of American Peter Dobson in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision victory to keep his unbeaten record.
The 27-year-old from London, who is unable to fight in the UK due to failed drug tests, won his second straight fight in the US as he went 12 rounds for the first time in his career.
The judges scored the welterweight fight 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110 in Benn’s favour to extend his record to 23-0.
After the fight, Benn said he would fight anyone promoter Eddie Hearn puts in front of him.
Leading in to the fight, Benn said he had fallen out of love with boxing after the failed drugs tests but was willing to “spend every last penny” to prove his innocence in the appeal.
His career was thrown into turmoil in October 2022 after he twice tested positive for the banned drug clomifene in the lead-up to a bout against Chris Eubank Jr that was called off in fight week.
His provisional suspension was lifted by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel, although the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping have lodged an appeal against that decision.
Hearn said on Friday that Benn must be allowed to fight again in Britain to fill the void left by Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
American Wyndham Clark shot a course record 60 to take the lead heading into the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.
The US Open champion made five putts of at least 25 feet in his 12-under-par round with two eagles, nine birdies and one bogey, eclipsing the previous record of 62.
Clark, who had a lengthy eagle putt at the last to break 60, said he had a “really good feel on the greens”.
He said: “I was just, ‘See ball, hit ball, try to hit it where I wanted to’.
“So in my mind I was like, ‘All right, let’s just get us to where we’re putting,’ because the hole seemed like a bucket today.”
Clark’s round does count as a course record on the PGA Tour, despite the players being able to clean and place balls on the fairways.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg continued his strong tournament with a five-under-par 67 to sit one shot off the lead with France’s Matthieu Pavon a further shot behind as he chases a second successive victory on tour.
Justin Rose shot a 66 to move to 11-under par – six off the lead – but Rory McIlroy is a further none strokes adrift after a 69.
The final day’s play could be determined by weather with strong winds and rain threatening to delay or cut short play.
With another display of his tremendous riding prowess, Jamaican-born United States-based jockey Shaun Bridgmohan registered his first ever win on Jamaican soil, with a come-from-behind effort aboard Phillip Feanny’s Fearless Soul, in Division One of the George HoSang Trophy at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
Bridgmohan’s 4-1/2 lengths triumph with the four-year-old chestnut colt, in the Restricted Allowance IV contest for native-bred four-year-olds and upward (non-winners of three) and imported four-year-olds and upward (non-winners of two), over five and a half furlongs (1,100m), marked another milestone in a decorated career –his 3,400th career win –and where better to have secured it that in the land of his birth.
The 44-year-old jockey, a Spanish Town native, who migrated to the United States at age of 13, dedicated the win to his father Gerald, who was unable to make the trip.
“It is nice to come down here and win a race. I want to thank my trainer Mr. Feanny for giving me the opportunity to ride a nice little horse today. Obviously, I couldn’t mess it up because he had him in great shape, so all I had to do was just keep him out of trouble,” Bridgmohan told SportsMax in a post-race interview.
“I watched him (Fearless Soul) race the last time he won, and he seemed like he was a much better horse on the outside, so my strategy going in was just to keep him wide and give him a clear path. When I pushed the trigger, he accelerated so fast and I thought I asked him a little too soon, but I just followed through. Dad this one is for you, and I love you,” he added.
Breaking from the number two draw, Bridgmohan and Fearless Soul, the 4-5 favourite, were slow from the gate and their trouble was compounded as they were crowded for space in the early exchanges.
With Strike Smart (Phillip Parchment) and Loyal Action (Tevin Foster) setting some decent early fractions of 23.2 and 47.2 seconds, it wasn’t until they left the half-mile (800m) point, that Bridgmohan and Fearless Soul found some racing room, and launched their attack from there.
After Strike Smart turned for home first, Bridgmohan and Fearless Soul entered the stretch run three wide with Royal Ash (Raddesh Roman) for company. However, with just a few more shake of the hands, followed by a flash of the whip by Bridgmohan, Fearless Soul easily rounded rivals and sprinted away in the final furlong to win in a final time of 1:07.2.
Strike Smart, Royal Ash and She’s Myhedgefund (Trevor Simpson), completed the frame behind the Balkrishen Sagan-Maraj-owned charge.
Meanwhile, Tevin Foster, who starred on the day with a dazzling four-timer, won Division Two of the George HoSang Trophy aboard Paul Swaby’s Kem in a time of 1:08.2.
His other winners on the nine-race programme were Howard Jaghai;s Speed On Wheels in the Eight Thirty Sprint; She’s A Godgift for trainer Leroy Tomlinson, and the Rohan Crichton-conditioned Bern Notice.
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