The Savills Chase at Leopardstown remains under consideration for Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Stage Star.
The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old won four of his six starts during his debut season over fences last term, including Cheltenham Festival success in the Turners Novices’ Chase.
He made a winning return with a tremendous front-running display in one of the sport’s most prestigious handicap chases at Cheltenham last month and connections already have one eye on a Festival return in March, with the Ryanair Chase his most likely objective.
What route Stage Star takes back to Prestbury Park remains undecided, however, with Leopardstown’s Savills Chase on December 28 and the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield in January mooted as options.
On a trip to Ireland over the Christmas period, Owners Group racing manager Dan Downie said: “It is possible, I’ll have a chat with Paul next week and we’ll make a decision about whether we go to Ireland or not.
“It doesn’t matter where he goes now, it’s going to be tough.
“I think ideally we’d like to give him a run before Cheltenham, but we’ll have a chat next week, so I’ll probably know a bit more in a week’s time.”
Casey Mittelstadt scored twice in a four-goal third period to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.
Zach Benson and former Golden Knight Alex Tuch also scored in the third and Dylan Cozens had a first-period goal and added two assists to help Buffalo improve to 3-1-1 in its last five games.
Devon Levi turned aside 32 shots and is 3-0-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average since he was recalled from the AHL earlier this month.
Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel had goals for Vegas, which had a nine-game point streak stopped (6-1-3).
Pastrnak lifts Bruins over Islanders in shootout
David Pastrnak scored the deciding shootout goal to lift the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins to a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders.
Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, James van Reimsdyk and Mason Lohrie scored in regulation, with Lohrei netting the equaliser with 3:09 left in regulation on a bank shot from behind the goal line.
Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Alexander Romanov and Simon Holmstrom had goals for the Islanders, who had won four straight but moved to 6-0-2 in their last eight games.
Stars rally past Senators after Oettinger injured
Miro Heiskanen and Matt Duchene scored 44 seconds apart in the third period to rally the Dallas Stars to a 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators after losing goalie Jake Oettinger to an early injury.
Oettinger left eight minutes into the game with a lower-body injury after allowing goals on the Senators’ first two shots on net. Scott Wedgewood entered and stopped 25 of 27 shots for the win.
Joe Pavelski, Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley also had goals for Dallas, which won its second straight.
Drake Batherson scored twice for Ottawa and Jake Chychrun had three assists in the Senators’ third consecutive loss.
Former Wales assistant coach Rob Howley was banned from all rugby activities for breaching World Rugby’s anti-corruption and betting regulations, on this day in 2019.
Howley was banned for 18 months, with nine months suspended, after it emerged he had placed bets on matches involving Wales and two of their players.
It was found that, over a four-year period from November 2015 to September 2019, Howley placed 363 bets involving 1,163 rugby matches with three bookmakers through accounts held under his own name.
Of the bets, 24 involved Wales or were related to “connected events”, such as Six Nations games involving rival teams. On two occasions he bet on unnamed Wales players scoring tries.
Howley was sent home from Japan shortly before the 2019 World Cup began after the WRU became aware of possible wrongdoing.
The alarm was first raised when WRU policy and integrity manager Jeremy Rogers was contacted by an employee of Betway, who claimed that Howley had placed bets on Wales games.
It emerged that Howley gambled on a Wales player to be the first try-scorer in the 25-7 Six Nations victory over Ireland in March, but he stated that it was part of a treble that fell in line with his normal recreational betting activity. He also backed another player to score a try.
When the unnamed players were interviewed they denied any knowledge that the bets had been placed on them, with Howley supporting their testimony.
The WRU found that Howley made an overall loss of £4,000 during the time period under scrutiny and described his activity as a “hobby”, while adding that “we use the word hobby with some caution because it seems that a trigger for Mr Howley’s betting activity was a family tragedy involving the death of his sister”.
Howley returned to coaching with Canada after serving his ban and, in December, was appointed as technical coach with Wales ahead of the 2024 Six Nations.
Jalen Brunson poured in a career-high 50 points and hit all nine of his 3-point attempts Friday in the New York Knicks’ 139-122 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Brunson was 17 of 23 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals in 35-plus minutes.
He is the first player in franchise history to score 50 points while making all nine 3s.
Julius Randle had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help New York snap a three-game road skid.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Devin Booker added 28 for the Suns, who lost guard Bradley Beal to an ankle injury in the first quarter.
Phoenix could be without a member of its All-Star trio for another extended period. Durant, Booker and Beal have played just one game together this season before Friday.
76ers extend Pistons’ losing streak to 22
Joel Embiid had another big game against the Detroit Pistons with 35 points and 13 rebounds on Friday and the Philadelphia 76ers sent the Detroit Pistons to their franchise-record 22nd straight loss, 124-92.
The Pistons, who lost at home to Philadelphia on Wednesday, surpassed the franchise record set at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 1980-81. Detroit's slide is the sixth-longest single-season skid in NBA history.
The 76ers hold the overall losing streak record with 28 straight, set at the end of 2014-15 and start of 2015-16.
In three wins this season against the Pistons, Embiid has averaged 36.3 points and 13.3 rebounds. He is the first NBA player with at least 675 points and 200 rebounds in the first 20 games of a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964-65.
Philadelphia more than doubled Detroit in the second quarter, outscoring the Pistons 35-17 en route to a 61-39 lead at halftime.
James Wiseman had 20 points for Detroit, which dropped to 2-23.
Spurs beat Lakers to snap 18-game slide
Devin Vassell scored a career-high 36 points and Victor Wembanyama had 13 points and 15 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs beat the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers, 129-115 to end an 18-game losing streak.
The victory was the first for San Antonio since defeating Phoenix on Nov. 2 and snapped the longest losing streak in franchise history, topping a 16-game slide last season.
LeBron James returned after a one-game absence with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers felt the loss of Anthony Davis, who sat out with a hip injury after he scored 37 points in a 122-119 win over the Spurs on Wednesday.
Los Angeles was also without starters D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish.
Cameron Menzies went from fixing a kitchen sink to throwing his way into the second round of the World Championship, where reigning champion Michael Smith survived an opening-night scare.
Menzies is a plumber by trade and had to do a day’s work on Friday, changing a waste basin, fixing a burst water main and repairing a kitchen sink before facing Austrian Rusty-Jake Rodriguez at the Alexandra Palace.
The colourful Scot won 3-0 to book his place in the second round where he will play Dave Chisnall on Saturday afternoon.
“I never thought this would happen. I was really panicky today,” he said. “I was working but it kind of chilled me out, it made me realise that darts is a hobby and a very lucky one, too.
“I changed the waste in a basin, I couldn’t get the pedestal out because it was concreted in. Then I did an emergency which was a burst water main and I fixed it, then I went to a tenant’s house to fix a bath and she wouldn’t let me in.
“Then I went to another job to fix a kitchen sink, so my job is maintenance-wise. Basically, it is burst pipes and blocked drains, it’s not pretty.
“I was so nervous, I knew that game meant a lot. What happens now is a bonus but winning that game meant the world to me.
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“Going to work chilled me out. It made me realise that it is not the be-all and end-all. I am a worker. I would like to be in a situation where I can give up my job and do this full-time, but I have a long way to go.”
Menzies will be able to take bragging rights back to the home he shares with girlfriend Fallon Sherrock, who is in first-round action on Monday night.
The 34-year-old was happy to avoid his girlfriend in the draw because he thinks she would “batter” him.
“You don’t understand how many issues we had,” Menzies said. “She went down for the draw, I was on the computer going, ‘Please’. There’s a handful of players you don’t want to draw and Fallon is up there.
“I play Fallon in the house and I beat her eight times out of 10 but she has a moment when she smashes me, which is fair enough.
“I know for a fact up there on the stage she would batter me. It’s her stage, she would batter me. I was like, ‘Please not Fallon’.
“Everyone was texting me asking if I was playing. Rusty is a very good player but I would take him over Fallon in a heartbeat.”
Smith began the defence of his 2023 title in nervy fashion as he was taken all the way by world number 66 Kevin Doets.
‘Bully Boy’, who beat Michael van Gerwen to win a maiden Ally Pally crown at the start of the year, was facing the prospect of becoming the first defending champion to go out at the first hurdle since 2009 when it went to a final-set decider with the Dutchman having the throw.
But a brilliant 142 checkout in the opening leg of the fifth set settled any nerves and Smith was able to go on and win 3-2, ensuring a happy Christmas as he does not return to action until December 27.
2010 finalist Simon Whitlock won a final-leg decider to see off Paolo Nebrida, claiming a 3-2 win to set up a second-round match with Gary Anderson.
A big field of 60 of Jamaica's top gunners will do battle at Jamaica Rifle Association's (JRA) Christmas Hamper Shoot at Woodleigh Shooting Range in Clarendon on Saturday.
The competitors will use the time on the range to prepare for the International Practical Confederation World shoot in South Africa, which is scheduled for 2025, where only the world's best shooters will get the chance to compete for prizes and top honours, as well as ranking points, to move up the scale to reach the zenith of master shooter. The World Shoot is a Level V championship and Jamaica will have eight spots at that event. It is the highest level in practical pistol competitions worldwide.
Some of the shooters who will be on the rage include Ryan Branwell, Shayon Francis, Adrian Randle and Andy Yap in the Open Division; Yeonie Campbell in Carry Optics, as well as Michael Bradshaw, Anthony Johnson and Matthew Smith-Barrett in Production Division.
All those shooters have enjoyed good form throughout the year, both locally and overseas, where they bettered competitors from other countries.
Bramwell topped his division locally in the JRA's President's Cup IPSC Level III in late October, ahead of Chris Hart and Randle. Bramwell also did well in the US National Championship in November, when he won the Production Optics Senior Division to collect the championship plaque.
Female shooter Campbell, earlier this year copped the Production Division and Ladies Category in the Spectrum Handgun Championship on her home range at Mountain View Avenue. She bettered Johnson in a nail-biter with just one point separating them, while Rohan Wallace was third.
When she competed in the US Nationals, Campbell placed 32nd from a field of 149 shooters in the Production Division and was the first female in the division.
President Rohan Wilson took over the reins of the JRA mid-year after Major John Nelson demitted office ahead of the scheduled elections.
Wilson is upbeat about Saturday's shoot, as well as the high number of competitors who registered. Though not wanting to predict any specific winners, he said that the competition will be "fierce among the competitors in the various divisions."
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without two star players for the next several weeks after announcing significant injuries to point guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley on Friday.
Garland suffered a fractured jaw after colliding with Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday. Garland finished the game, but a scan on Friday confirmed the injury. The 2021-22 All-Star selection will undergo a procedure to repair his jaw and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Mobley has missed Cleveland’s last four games, listed on the injury report with left knee soreness. The Cavs announced Friday that the third-year big man will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the knee and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.
Garland and Mobley have combined to score nearly 37 points per game this season, and their absence will place an even greater offensive burden on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Caris LeVert.
The loss of two core players is a massive blow for a team off to a middling start this season.
After a disappointing first-round play-off exit to end last season, the Cavs opened this campaign 4-6. The team appeared to find its footing over the next few weeks, rising above .500, but Cleveland has dropped its last three games and sits at 13-12.
Garland was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and is averaging 20.7 points – second on the team behind Mitchell – and 5.9 assists this season.
Mobley was the third overall pick in 2021 and immediately made a splash as an All-Rookie selection. He is scoring 16.0 points per game this season and is averaging career highs with 10.5 rebounds, 1.67 blocks and 57.3-percent shooting from the field.
Mobley is the Cavs’ best defender, and he was an All-Defensive Team selection last season.
The Texas Rangers will be without key pitcher Max Scherzer for possibly the first half of the 2024 season after the three-time Cy Young Award winner underwent back surgery this week, the team announced Friday.
Scherzer issued a statement revealing he had surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his back that has been bothering him all offseason. The injury also forced his removal from the Rangers' roster prior to the end of the 2023 World Series, which Texas won in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer said. “During this time I received the diagnosis of a herniated disk. After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery.
"Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer."
Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters Friday that Scherzer will likely be sidelined into June or July.
Scherzer was forced out of his Game 3 start of the World Series after three innings with what was initially described as back tightness. The 39-year-old also missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a muscle strain in his right shoulder before returning for the American League Championship Series between Texas and the Houston Astros.
The eight-time All-Star also missed time with injuries in 2022 while then with the New York Mets, as he was limited to 23 starts and 145 1/3 innings that year. Discounting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, both totals were his fewest in a season since his rookie year in 2008.
Texas acquired Scherzer from the Mets near the trade deadline on July 30, and he posted a 4-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts before the shoulder injury. The veteran right-hander was 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in three post-season starts.
Scherzer compiled a 13-6 record with a 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 27 overall regular-season starts between the Mets and Rangers in 2023.
The Rangers will now begin defense of the franchise's first World Series title with two former Cy Young winners on the injured list. Jacob deGrom, Scherzer's former teammate in New York, is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last summer and is aiming for a return in August.
“We had hoped to have a healthy Max Scherzer at the beginning of the season, obviously,” Young said when asked if the injury changes the Rangers' offseason plans. "That said, we also recognised that we were going to need pitching depth. I'm not sure it changes much in terms of building out that depth. It thins us out a little bit on the front half of the season.
"Pitching will remain a focus and we'll continue to look for any way to improve our club.”
The Los Angeles Chargers have fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco hours after the team was dealt one of the worst losses in franchise history.
Owner Dean Spanos announced the moves Friday, one day after the Chargers set a team record for most points allowed in a game in a 63-21 defeat to the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.
The loss was Los Angeles' fifth in six games and dropped the Chargers to the bottom of the division standings at 5-9.
"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best," Spanos said in a team statement. "These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly — especially when you consider the number of people they impact."
The Chargers said interim replacements for both positions will be announced "within short order."
Staley led the Chargers to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance last season, but a combination of injuries, poor defense and an inability to close out games caused the team to fail to meet expectations in 2023.
The 2023 Chargers ranked 29th in the NFL in total yards allowed per game and 27th in points allowed per game under Staley, who was hired by Telesco as head coach in 2021 following a succesful one-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator.
The Chargers also blew a fourth-quarter lead in three losses that were decided by three points or less. They were also on the wrong end of one of the largest comebacks in NFL playoff history last season, when the Jacksonville Jaguars rallied from a 27-0 deficit to end Los Angeles' 2022 campaign with a 31-30 loss.
"We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision," Spanos stated. "Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take. Our fans have stood strong through so many ups and downs and close games. They deserve more. Frankly, they've earned more.
"Building and maintaining a championship-caliber program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today."
Staley went 24-24 over a three-year stint that ended with Thursday's 42-point loss, the third largest margin of defeat in franchise history. It was the Chargers' first game without star quarterback Justin Herbert, who fractured his right finger in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos and recently underwent season-ending surgery.
Telesco had served as the Chargers' GM since 2013. The team finished with a winning record in six of his 10 seasons and made three postseason appearances under his watch, though it never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs.
Daryl Morey helped guide the Philadelphia 76ers through the drama-filled sagas of Ben Simmons and James Harden, and he will continue to shepherd the organisation into the foreseeable future.
The Sixers announced Friday that they have extended Morey’s contract as team president of basketball operations through the 2027-28 season.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
In Morey’s three full seasons as the lead executive in Philadelphia, the 76ers have a .653 winning percentage, and last season’s 54-28 record was the franchise’s best since the 2000-01 campaign.
This season began with Harden demanding a trade and accusing Morey of dishonesty. Morey orchestrated Harden’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the 76ers are among the Eastern Conference leaders at 16-7 under new head coach Nick Nurse.
“Daryl is one of the best front office executives in sports and I greatly value his leadership,” managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have reached an agreement to extend his contract and look forward to working together to maximize our chances of competing for an NBA title.”
The 2017-18 NBA Executive of the Year, Morey was the general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020.
In 17 seasons as a lead basketball executive, Morey’s teams have never had a losing season and have compiled a record of 810-489 (.624).
Despite his consistent success, a Morey-led team has never won an NBA title, and the 76ers have seen three consecutive second-round play-off exits.
“We are committed to bringing a championship to Philadelphia,” Morey said in a statement. “I love this franchise and the relationship my family and I have built with our fans and this city. There’s no place I’d rather continue this journey than here.”
Finn Russell reckons Scotland will benefit from having burgeoning backs Ben White and Blair Kinghorn plying their trade at the top level in France.
Scrum-half White, 25, joined Challenge Cup winners Toulon after the World Cup following the demise of London Irish, while 26-year-old full-back Kinghorn moved from boyhood club Edinburgh to Top 14 giants Toulouse earlier this month.
Russell returned to the UK to join Bath this season after establishing himself as one of the top stand-offs in the world during five fruitful years in France with Racing 92.
The 31-year-old believes it can only be a good thing for Scotland to have two key players – both of whom scored tries in the Champions Cup last weekend – spending their prime years in a league he holds in the highest regard.
“I think it’s good moves for the two of them, they’ll have great fun playing over there,” Russell told the PA news agency. “They’ll learn a lot and they’ll be challenged in a way they probably won’t have experienced before with the language, the lifestyle and the style of rugby.
“But I think both of them will adapt really well and they’ll grow as players as well as men. They’ll get to learn about the French mentality, French rugby and the individuals.
“That’s knowledge that you don’t really get until you’re out there playing. It will be great for the national team and it will be brilliant for the two guys personally.”
While Scotland have no issue with their players moving overseas, Rugby Football Union rules do not allow those based abroad to be selected for England.
That means 21-year-old winger Henry Arundell – who featured for Steve Borthwick’s side at the World Cup – will no longer be able to be picked for his country after this week extending his contract with Racing until 2026.
Russell is thankful he did not have to consider such a scenario when he moved to the Paris club from Glasgow in 2018.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be an Englishman and rule yourself out for playing for the national team but that’s obviously a decision he’s happy to live with,” said the Scotland talisman.
“He must be loving it out there. I was in Paris for five years and I loved every minute of it so I can understand why he’s staying.
“He’ll grow as a person and be challenged in a way he probably wouldn’t be over here with the language and the lifestyle. He’ll love it out there and I can understand his decision to stay.”
Russell will be reunited with some familiar faces next month when Bath host Racing – with Arundell in tow – and then visit Kinghorn’s Toulouse the following weekend in the Champions Cup.
“It will be good fun,” he said. “It will be different playing against Racing having been there for five years but I just need to treat it as another game.
“I can’t get caught up in the mental side of playing against my old team. Toulouse is another great place to go and play, especially in a European game, so I’m looking forward to both of those games.”
Finn Russell’s latest World Cup disappointment has not dented his enthusiasm to play for Scotland as the talismanic stand-off declared he has no intention of making himself unavailable for the national team any time soon.
The 31-year-old was gutted at suffering a second successive pool-stage exit in France in October, but he told the PA news agency his desire to pull on the dark blue jersey remains as strong as ever.
“No, not at all,” he said when asked if his appetite for international rugby had been diminished by his World Cup experience.
“If anything it’s given me a bit more of an appetite to get back into it with the national team again and try to get a few more wins and try to win something.”
Fellow Scotland star Stuart Hogg retired from rugby in the summer aged 31 but Russell, who is just a few months younger than the former full-back, aims to still be operating at a level that allows him to go to his fourth World Cup in 2027.
The fly-half, who recently joined Bath following five years in France with Racing 92, will turn 35 a week before the showpiece in Australia begins.
“Hopefully,” he said. “Age-wise, I’ll be able to make that. It’s just about whether or not I’m playing well enough, so hopefully I am. I’ve got no inclination to finish up any time soon internationally.”
This year’s World Cup, in which Scotland were well beaten by South Africa and Ireland, cut deep for Russell.
Instead of taking a holiday immediately afterwards, he chose to throw himself straight into club rugby with new side Bath, making his debut as a substitute against Newcastle just a week after the demoralising defeat by the Irish.
But as one of Scotland’s vice-captains, he has been in contact with head coach Gregor Townsend to dissect the tournament with a view to improving for the upcoming Six Nations.
“I came straight into something new after the World Cup so that didn’t allow me to reflect on it as much as others might have,” he said. “I think that’s fine though. It’s always in the back of your mind.
“I had a call with Gregor just to chat and give my opinion on how we could have done better at the World Cup, how we could develop, and how we could use it as a learning curve for both of us and the whole team.
“We were both chatting about how we thought the World Cup went, where we can grow and develop from it, how we can get better as a team and us both as individuals – me as a player and him as a coach.
“It wasn’t like we were blaming each other or anything like that, it was just a good conversation to get us going in the right direction.
“The style of rugby we’re playing is very exciting and we’re scoring tries but obviously against Ireland in particular we had a disappointing result.
“We’ll have to address a few things from the World Cup that didn’t go as planned and we’ll have to grow as a group and get better but I’m looking forward to the Six Nations coming round and trying to achieve something.”
Russell himself is in a good place. Following five years in Paris, he and his young family have enjoyed “a very easy transition” to life in Bath over the past couple of months.
After starting seven of the in-form Gallagher Premiership side’s last eight matches, the stand-off feels fit and fresh.
“I’m feeling good,” he said, speaking ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup trip to Cardiff. “I came straight back after the World Cup and played the next week so I didn’t have a week to dwell on the World Cup.
“I just wanted to get on to the next thing and get a new focus straight away.
“After a few games, I had a week off and went to New York with my partner so it was nice to get away and relax.
“Even though the World Cup was frustrating, it’s been good to get back in here and get some good results.
“It’s been a new challenge with a new team and I’m feeling fresh.
“I’ve settled in very smoothly, easily, quickly, which has been brilliant and rugby-wise we’ve been playing well. So far, so good. I’m enjoying it.”
In addition to the usual club and country matters, the prospect of a third British and Irish Lions tour will soon be on Russell’s horizon.
The Scottish superstar went to New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021 and is a likely contender to be involved again in Australia the summer after next.
“It’s something I know is coming up and it will be at the back of my mind but my main focus for now is doing as well as I can with Bath and Scotland and then we’ll get to the Lions when it comes round,” he said.
“I think everyone in the UK and Ireland will have that as their goal after the World Cup but it’s quite a while away. I just need to do my job for Bath and Scotland.”
Ginny’s Destiny further strengthened Paul Nicholls’ already formidable hand in the novice chase division with an all-the-way victory at Cheltenham on Friday.
The champion trainer has unearthed a particularly deep crop of young chasers to go to war with this winter, including a trio of Grade Two winners in Stay Away Fay, Knappers Hill and Hermes Allen.
This seven-year-old’s rise through the ranks has been a little more unheralded – but having impressed in handicap company at the track’s November meeting, he took the next step up the ladder with another excellent front-running display in the Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices’ Chase.
The challengers queued up to have a pop at the 5-2 shot racing down the hill, but one by one he saw them off under a typically well-judged ride from Harry Cobden and he had enough up his sleeve once pressed by 2-1 favourite Grey Dawning to win the day by three-quarters of a length.
“He puts them to the sword and he keeps galloping. He had improved a lot at home and worked brilliantly the other morning,” said Nicholls.
“Claudia (Reid), who rides him and Pic D’Orhy at home, said to me he is not far behind Pic D’Orhy the way he is improving, so she might be right.
“I might look at the £75,000 race at Warwick on January 13 (Hampton Novices’ Chase), as I think three miles around Warwick would be perfect for him.
“He is a good horse. Ground-wise, the softer it is, the better for him.”
Go Dante (7-2 favourite) provided his owner Barbara Hester with a birthday winner and a first success at Cheltenham in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle.
Sixth in the more competitive Greatwood Hurdle last month, Olly Murphy’s inmate hit the front two flights from home and stuck to his guns to see off Doddiethegreat by a length and a quarter in the hands of Sean Bowen.
Murphy said: “This has been a long time coming. I’m not surprised. He is one of those horses that every time he runs, I go racing thinking that he will win.
“He has obviously won his races, but just not at a level I would have liked him to. He has had a lot of issues – he has broken his pelvis, and he had a schooling incident last season.
“Something like a Betfair Hurdle is what we could look at. He has loads of ability and that was great.”
La Malmason (11-4 favourite) gave leading Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell his sixth Cheltenham winner of the season in the Cheltenham Racecourse Food Bank Collection Mares’ Handicap Chase.
Cromwell said: “She is a lovely mare and she jumped well enough. I think she is progressive. She didn’t pick up as good as I thought she would but listen, she has won.
“She unseated Keith (Donoghue) one day. When she is good, she is very good, but she has been making novicey mistakes. The last day at Down Royal, the last three fences were taken out and the winner (Found A Fifty) was very good, as he went on to be second in a Grade One.
“It is nice to see her find her feet and hopefully she can go on from here.”
The Venetia Williams-trained Cepage rolled back the years to lift the Unibet Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
“He is still rattling around here at a rate of knots,” said the trainer. “All credit to the owners for giving him the time come back from various injuries. It has taken me this long to put the cheekpieces on him, but I was keen to reserve them for a decent race.
“He is a quirky horse. Jess, who is leading him up, and is my assistant, rides him all the time. Even at the age he is now, which is 11 going on 12, he has to be legged up in the barn, otherwise he might bolt. He is still daft as a brush!”
There were emotional scenes after the success of White Rhino (3-1 favourite) in the concluding Citipost Handicap Hurdle.
The training partnership of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero lost one of their stable stars in the preceding Glenfarclas Crystal Cup after Gesskille, a winner over the Grand National fences in last month’s Grand Sefton, suffered a fatal injury.
Jockey Henry Brooke, who was also on board Gesskille, showed great strength of character to dust himself down and steer White Rhino to victory, but was fighting back the tears afterwards.
He said: “It’s emotional. I’ve composed myself a bit now, but I’ve had a winner at Cheltenham and I could nearly say it’s the worst day of my racing career so far.
“I’m gutted to lose that horse (Gesskille), he means so much to the whole yard, but you can’t take it away from this lad here (White Rhino) – he’s done his job.
“We’ve got to pick ourselves up. Gesskille has been a massive part of my career and I’ll be indebted to him for a long time.”
Guerriero added: “You would swap it around and not have a winner and have Gesskille back, but that is the way it is. Gesskille was a stable star and he literally put us on the map. He has been amazing. To lose him is so sad, but that is racing, unfortunately.
“White Rhino has been brilliant for these owners – he has been a star. We might try and get him qualified for the Pertemps Final and maybe come back here for the Festival.”
Ex-Formula One world champion Jenson Button is getting back behind the wheel after entering next year’s World Endurance Championship.
The 43-year-old, who won the F1 title in 2009 with Brawn and competed in over 300 grands prix, has signed up with Hertz Team JOTA and will drive a Porsche 963 in the top hypercar class.
Button competed in the Le Mans 24-hour race earlier this year and appeared in the 2018-19 WEC for SMP Racing, but has now agreed to commit to a full eight-date season.
He told www.fiawec.com: “I’m excited to be racing with Hertz Team JOTA in the 2024 World Endurance Championship alongside my team-mates Oliver Rasmussen and Phil Hanson. Both already have a lot of experience in endurance racing and that is key.
“Endurance racing is about teamwork and there is no better team than Hertz Team JOTA to be taking on the big manufacturers in hypercars. I’m already looking forward to the first race in Qatar but also know there’s a lot of work to be done so that we arrive prepared.”
Frederic Lequien, chief executive of WEC, welcomed the addition of a high-profile competitor to his roster.
“It’s an honour to have Jenson Button – a hugely successful driver across many racing disciplines – competing full-time in the WEC next year,” he said.
“With nine manufacturers in the hypercar category next year including star names such as Jenson confirmed on the grid, everything is now in place for the WEC to have its most spectacular season yet.”
A tilt at Randox Grand National glory looms large for Latenightpass after landing the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup at Cheltenham.
The 10-year-old has spent much of his career on the point-to-point and hunter chase circuit for the husband and wife team of trainer Tom Ellis and amateur rider Gina Andrews, memorably claiming the 2022 Foxhunters’ Chase over the National fences at Aintree.
Having finished fourth when defending his crown on Merseyside in the spring, connections decided on a change of tack late in his career, and there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his cross-country debut and first start for Dan Skelton when second to Foxy Jacks at Prestbury Park last month.
With Andrews again in the saddle, Latenightpass was the 3-1 favourite to go one better four weeks later, and after travelling well, he found plenty for pressure following the final obstacle to score by four lengths from Francky Du Berlais.
Skelton said: “I thought coming away from last time that he acquitted himself very well but, to be fair, I don’t really know the horse that well.
“Tom (Ellis) trains him and, throughout all this, Bridget (Skelton, Gina Andrews’ sister) has done all the work on him.
“It has just been my name on the licence. He has been a massive addition to the team. Not all of them take to it, but he did.”
Asked about a tilt at the Grand National, the trainer added: “I’d say it is blindingly obvious (to have a go). I wouldn’t say he was superior there, as you have the likes of Galvin and Minella Indo, who you meet off level weights at the Festival.
“I think it is very acceptable to come back for the Festival and run against them without the expectation that you are going to beat them off level weights.
“I think Silver Birch ran in the cross-country race before winning the Grand National. I’m not saying we should be favourite for the Grand National, but I think he more than deserves his chance.
“He has got experience (over the Aintree fences), he stays the trip well. When you come out of hunter chases, you don’t know if you belong in a higher grade. I think he has probably now suggested twice that is the truth.”
There were also plenty of positives to take from the performance of Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo, with the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero appearing to relish his first cross-country experience on his way to finishing fourth under top-weight of 12 stone.
“After the schooling he had done at home, we were hoping he would put in a jumping performance like that,” said his rider Rachael Blackmore.
“He had to carry a lot of weight around there, so I thought it was a really good run. He took to those fences very well and he was a very enjoyable ride around them.
“Henry and the Maloneys (owners) will decide if he comes back in March, but it was a really great run and I very much enjoyed riding him.”
There was a sad postscript to the race, with Gesskille – a winner over the National fences in the Grand Sefton on his most recent appearance – suffering a fatal injury.
Dan Skelton lowers Protektorat’s sights in a bid to get his season back on track in Saturday’s Favourite From The Sun Now Daily Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old has proved his worth at the very highest level over the past couple of seasons, most notably finishing third in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold before making a spectacular start to last season in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.
However, he subsequently failed to fire as a hot favourite in the Cotswold Chase, finished fifth on his second tilt at the Gold Cup and put up a disappointing defence of his Betfair crown last month.
As a result, Protektorat will run in a handicap for the first time in over two years this weekend and will have to concede upwards of 15lb to each of his rivals.
“It’s obviously something a little bit different, running him in a handicap with a lot of weight (12 stone),” said Skelton.
“Not many get in the handicap and I wanted to go somewhere with him before Lingfield (Fleur de Lys Chase, January 21).
“He was a close second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham the last time he ran in a handicap, so we will give it a go.”
The next horse in the weights is the Paul Nicholls-trained Threeunderthrufive, who finished second in the Badger Beer at Wincanton on his seasonal reappearance.
Owner Max McNeill said: “We feel he’s a very good horse. He ran a great race at Wincanton, but the winner (Blackjack Magic) just kept going. That was his first run after a wind op and they always say the second run is better.
“He’s back up to 150 now and it’s a shame he’s still not going off 147 as he went up 3lb for the run at Wincanton, but that was fair.
“I do think he will run well. He ran a cracking race in the Scottish National last season (finished fourth).
“We had considered the Becher at Aintree last weekend, but that heavy ground wouldn’t have suited him and Paul also thought he didn’t want to possibly scare him over the National fences before he ran in it, because potentially you can end your National dream early.
“We thought about waiting for Ascot’s Silver Cup, but with that being two-mile-seven it might just be on the sharp side for him, so of all the big staying handicaps over Christmas, we felt this suited him best. I think he goes there with a good each-way chance.”
Irish hopes in the three-and-a-quarter-mile contest are carried by Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl, who bids for a second successive win in the Cotswolds having struck gold at the November meeting.
“She’s gone up a few pounds (11lb) for winning the last day, but she’s off a nice weight and Conor (Stone-Walsh) claims 5lb off as well,” said Cromwell.
“She seems in good nick and she knows how to win around the track. She took her last race well and is a hardy little mare.”
The only Graded race on Saturday’s card is the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, which has unsurprisingly attracted a number of promising staying types.
The likely favourite is Nicky Henderson’s £200,000 purchase Shanagh Bob following a dominant debut under rules at Plumpton, while Destroytheevidence brings experience to the table for Kim Bailey, having won three of his five starts over hurdles to date.
Ruth Jefferson’s Kerryhill and Cadell from Lucinda Russell’s yard are two interesting northern raiders, with the pair having finished first and second respectively in a novice hurdle at Kelso last month.
Jefferson said: “He did what he needed to do at Kelso and has come out of it well. The French Furze (at Newcastle) was abandoned and so we needed to make a new plan – and this was our new plan.
“You could bob round as an odds-on favourite in another ordinary novice and learn no more; yes, the bubble might burst on Saturday, but it might burst at some point anyway.
“I can’t see why he wouldn’t stay three miles and the ground shouldn’t be a problem.
“Most of the horses in the race have won a point-to-point and a novice hurdle. It might be our bubble that bursts, but it might be somebody else’s as well.”
Dysart Enos looks like having every chance of finally breaking trainer Fergal O’Brien’s Cheltenham Festival duck judged on her latest impressive victory in the opening race at Prestbury Park on Friday.
The Ravenswell Farm handler has yet to enjoy success at the sport’s showpiece event, but has come close on several occasions and is a regular visitor to the winner’s enclosure at his local track’s other meetings.
Dysart Enos, whose three bumper wins included a Grade Two success at Aintree, predictably outclassed her rivals on her hurdling debut at Huntingdon last month, but she had more on her plate taking on the geldings in the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
The 5-6 favourite proved more than up the task, though, jumping significantly better than she had done at Huntingdon and travelling like much the best horse in the field into the home straight.
Beat The Bat did his best to stay in the race on the run to the final flight, but Dysart Enos was not for catching and found plenty on the run-in to pass the post with two and three-quarter lengths in hand.
“You say the race at Huntingdon was an egg and spoon race, but Mary (who was third that day) has been placed in a Listed race at Newbury,” said O’Brien.
“She did everything she had to do that day at Huntingdon. It was lovely to come here, but I was questioning it yesterday as everyone was saying ‘why are you going to Cheltenham’?
“The reason I wanted to bring her was that she is quite hot, and I didn’t want to come here in March having had an easy passage through just picking and choosing our races. I wanted her to see Cheltenham.
“If she got beat today, of course I would have been disappointed, but it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. I wanted her to come here and see Cheltenham and get some of the atmosphere.”
Paddy Power make the winner a 4-1 joint-favourite from 6-1 for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March, which O’Brien confirmed as her main objective.
He added: “We’ll aim for the mares’ novice and she would only have one more race beforehand, if that.
“She is very special as we have never had anything so quick.”
David Egan has been announced as the new retained jockey for Amo Racing, signing a two-year contract with Kia Joorabchian’s racing operation.
Rossa Ryan and most recently Kevin Stott have previously held the position of first jockey for the ambitious Amo team who enjoyed their first Royal Ascot and Group One victories in 2023.
The position has been vacant since Stott was released shortly after the Irish Champions Festival where star performer King Of Steel could only finish fourth to Auguste Rodin with Amo electing to book the ‘best available’ jockey for the final months of the 2023 campaign.
That allowed Frankie Dettori to link up with King Of Steel on British Champions Day where Roger Varian’s colt helped provide a thrilling swansong to the Italian’s career in the UK and now it is the opportunity of Varian’s primary rider Egan to get first call on Amo’s wealth of talent.
“I’m very pleased to announce David as our first jockey,” said Joorabchian in a statement from Amo.
“We have had a brilliant ongoing relationship over the years and used David consistently on our horses, going back to Mojo Star’s brilliant second in the Derby.
“We now feel it’s the perfect time to consolidate our team and having David on board will be a valuable addition.”
He went on: “David is a talented, ambitious jockey with experience at the top of the sport having won races of the highest calibre all over the world, and growing up as Roger Varian’s stable jockey has given him invaluable experience and maturity.
“Aware of the size of our organisation, we must implement systems to ensure longevity and I have tremendous confidence in this decision. Having David on board for the next two years will help us develop long-term stability as a team.
“I would also like to thank Roger Varian for his tremendous support, confidence and blessing in this decision.”
Egan was crowned champion apprentice in 2017 and got his first taste of top-level success when riding as retained jockey to Prince Faisal, winning the Saudi Cup, Dubai Sheema Classic and Juddmonte International Stakes aboard Mishriff.
He has since claimed a first Classic aboard Varian’s Eldar Eldarov in the St Leger, with the combination also striking at the Curragh in the Irish equivalent in September.
Egan said: “I’m delighted to have signed a two-year contract with Amo Racing. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Roger and Hanako Varian, and all the Varian Stable team.
“They have been like family to me since I first started in racing, and I’d just like to thank them for their friendship and support over the last seven years.
“I am very excited about the new challenge ahead and I look forward to being part of the Amo Racing team.”
Allaho will bid to provide Cheveley Park Stud with another big-race victory at Kempton on Boxing Day after being confirmed an intended runner in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.
While better known as a major force on the Flat, the owners have enjoyed huge success over jumps in recent years, with the Gold Cup triumph of A Plus Tard the obvious highlight of several winners at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained Allaho is a dual winner at Prestbury Park, having twice dominated his rivals in the Ryanair Chase, while he proved his stamina for the three-mile distance of the King George with another sensational performance in the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup.
The nine-year-old missed the whole of last season through injury – but having proved his well-being with a comeback win in the Clonmel Oil Chase last month, Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is looking forward to seeing him line up in one of National Hunt racing’s most prestigious races.
“That (King George) is the plan and has been the plan for a while. I said to Willie to do whatever he thinks and it’s his decision,” said Thompson.
“He was obviously off the track for a year and a half. He’s been a brilliant horse for us and you’d hope that he’s going to be in good enough shape to compete and do a decent job.
“He’s been a fantastic horse, it will be great to be there and it’s very exciting.”
Thompson admits Allaho’s comeback victory over just two rivals at Clonmel was more solid than spectacular and is keeping his fingers crossed he can show his true brilliance in the King George.
He added: “He won the Ryanair in 2021, the Ryanair in 2022 and the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2022, and in between times he put in that performance in the John Durkan in 2021, which I think it’s fair to say was a bit workmanlike.
“He wasn’t the Allaho that he was in either of the Ryanairs or in the Punchestown Gold Cup that day, but he still won another Grade One.
“Who knows what will happen at Kempton, but it’s great to be in the race. I appreciate every single one of our Grade Ones, especially the amazing Grade Ones, and the King George is definitely one of those.
“There are Grade Ones and there are Grade Ones – and this is a proper Grade One.”
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