The Middleham Park Racing team expect to have a clearer idea about Marie’s Rock’s potential ambitions for the rest of the season after she takes on two staying stalwarts in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on Friday.
Nicky Henderson’s mare claimed back-to-back Grade One wins at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals in the spring of 2022 and made a triumphant return from eight months out of action when beating the boys in the Relkeel Hurdle at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day.
By racing manager Tom Palin’s own admission, the decision to run in the Mares’ Hurdle rather than the Stayers’ Hurdle on her return to Cheltenham in March did not pay off, with Marie’s Rock finishing a well-beaten seventh behind Honeysuckle.
But with the eight-year-old subsequently proving her worth over three miles when runner-up to Sire Du Berlais at Aintree, there is no doubt about which route she is pursuing this term.
“It’s great to get her out a month and a bit sooner than we were able to last year and she seems in great form with herself,” said Palin.
“She went to Newbury last Tuesday, which was a good away day for her as she is quite excitable, and it just helped to burn off some of that freshness and excitement.
“We’ve had this race in mind since Aintree and she’s not missed a day. Her schooling at home has been excellent, her work at home has been excellent and we couldn’t be happier with her coming into this.
“She’s fit enough to do herself justice. Obviously she’ll come on for it after 230 days off the racetrack, but that’s going to be the same for anyone who hasn’t had a race.”
Marie’s Rock is set to face two veterans of the division in Paisley Park and Dashel Drasher – but while Palin is respectful of both, he is more than happy to take them on.
He added: “It’s kind of over to us now, isn’t it? We’ve got the established servants of the staying division in dear old Paisley Park and Dashel Drasher, who we know quite well as we’ve taken him on twice and come out the right side on both occasions.
“Both horses deserve the utmost respect, but the division is kind of crying out for a slightly younger gun to have their moment in the sun and Marie’s Rock seems the likely candidate at this stage.
“Whether that’s still the case at 3.08pm on Friday, we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m hugely excited about running her in this race, as are the team, and it should firmly establish where we are in the British staying pecking order.”
It is four years since Paisley Park struck gold in the Long Distance Hurdle and he has been placed in each of the three runnings since.
Emma Lavelle’s pride and joy is clearly in the twilight of his career at the age of 11, but the Wiltshire-based trainer is pleased with what she has seen at home in recent weeks.
She said: “He has just been such a star and is loving his training.
“He looks great and he went to Newbury for the press morning and had a lovely time just having a gallop round.
“He seems in really good shape but the proof is always in the running, so we will get him out and we will go and see what happens.
“He’s showing at home that he is loving what he is doing and we have had a good preparation. He schooled really well on Tuesday and was tanking along, so hopefully we will get a feel as to where we are.
“There are going to be horses in there with younger legs, but he has a heart of a lion. He is unbelievable how he keeps turning up and he loves his routine. It’s very special to have him and we will just decide race by race where we go.”
Unlike his two main rivals, Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher is race-fit, having finished a creditable third on his seasonal debut in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby four weeks ago.
Scott had hoped to run his stable star in last Saturday’s 1965 Chase at Ascot, but felt he would be unsuited by the drying ground over fences, so he instead sticks to the smaller obstacles in Berkshire.
Deborah Cole’s Flight Deck, the Paul Nicholls-trained Hugos New Horse and Mahons Glory from Patrick Neville’s yard complete the field.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has criticised the “shameful” treatment of Owen Farrell in what he believes should be a wake-up call for the game.
Farrell will miss the Six Nations after deciding to take a break from international rugby in order to “prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being”, although he will continue to play club ruby.
The unexpected decision comes after the 32-year-old fly-half led England to a third-place finish in the recent World Cup after losing to champions South Africa by a point in the semi-final.
Farrell has long been a lightening rod figure in the sport, but the condemnation peaked in August when he was sent off for a dangerous tackle against Wales, a decision that was overturned by a disciplinary hearing only to then incur a ban on appeal.
England’s captain was frequently booed in France, sometimes with his family present in the stadium, and McCall is impressed that he delivered a series of strong performances despite shouldering a heavy burden.
“It’s remarkable that he played the way he played during the World Cup, if we take into account how he was feeling,” McCall said.
“He is a person who is right on top of his game at the moment, yet he and his family have been made to feel the way they feel. It is shameful. It’s not right.
“I’ve worked with Owen for 15 years, every day, and the person that has been portrayed in the media bears no resemblance to the person I know. He’s a family man, they’ve always come first.
“There was a narrative created and started and that’s been there for quite some time. There’s only so much that someone can take.
“On top of that, he’s a brilliant, caring, supportive team-mate and a loyal friend to many. And a very good, decent human being. That’s the person I know.
“It was courageous and brave of him to open up. I admire Owen for many reasons anyway, but even more for doing this.
“I’m not worried about Europe or the club at all. I’m worried about Owen. We want him to be OK and happy. Clearly he hasn’t been.”
It could be a key afternoon in the chasing career of Colonel Mustard as he bids to open his account up against Paul Nicholls’ Hermes Allen in the Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.
Lorna Fowler’s eight-year-old has come close to big-race success on raiding missions from Ireland in the past, most notably finishing third to State Man in the County Hurdle in 2022, while also picking up a silver medal in both the Morebattle Hurdle and Scottish Champion Hurdle earlier this year.
The most consistent of operators, he has finished outside the podium positions on only three occasions in 17 career starts.
However, he arrives in Berkshire for Grade Two action still a maiden over fences having bumped into some of the best novices around in Ireland, including at Down Royal on his seasonal debut, where Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty proved too good in a race where plenty of the obstacles were omitted.
“He’s in great form and I was very happy with him going into Down Royal,” explained Fowler.
“He was never going to beat that winner, but it was a very unsatisfactory race with so many of the jumps taken out. It not so much didn’t give me as many answers as I wanted, but more so the race I wanted to give him some experience.
“The run physically will have brought him and I think Newbury will suit him a lot.
“He does need to find his rhythm with his jumping and that will be key. I know it’s a pretty good race, but he is a classy horse and if he can pull himself together and get his jumping OK, then I think we’ve definitely got a chance.”
It will be just the third time Colonel Mustard has raced beyond the minimum two miles, but Fowler is confident a trip is now what he needs to put his best foot forward and break his fences duck at the fourth time of asking.
“I think the two and a half is important to him and I do think he stays,” she continued. “He has tried the trip twice and circumstances wouldn’t have seen him in his best light in both.
“Rachael (Blackmore) rode him at Down Royal and she seems to think he will stay and I’m very confident he will also.
“In terms of D-Day, he is going to have to produce it over fences, otherwise we are lucky to be able to go back over hurdles.
“I feel like he hasn’t had his best shot over fences yet, but it does need to happen otherwise we will be back over hurdles.”
Standing in Colonel Mustard’s way is Hermes Allen, with the Grade One scorer returning to the scene of his Challow Hurdle success as he starts life over the larger obstacles.
Although failing to make his mark at the spring festivals, he is tipped for big things over fences and his handler is keen to get him on course after a slight setback pushed back his original start date.
“We planned to start him over fences earlier this season until a minor foot issue put paid to that, but he is fine now and he will have benefitted from a racecourse gallop with Complete Unknown at Newbury early last week,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“Hermes Allen had a wind op in the summer and his schooling over fences at home has been very good, but given the time he lost, I’m sure we can get him fitter. I’m sure he can improve on whatever he does on Friday.
“He was a star for us last season with an impressive success in the Grade One Challow Hurdle at this course and could be exciting over fences.”
Sarah Humphrey is not a familiar name on the big days, but Nickle Back could put her name in lights if building on his two wide-margin victories over fences to date.
Humphrey said: “For a small yard to have a potentially top-class horse, it’s very exciting and a big deal for us.
“He was always going to be a chaser, but things didn’t go to plan for his novice hurdling year and then last season we were on a recovery mission from something else, but he was always going to be a chaser and the plan was always to go chasing, so I’m glad it has worked out so far.
“It’s all very well the handicapper giving him a high rating and obviously he has won his first two (chase outings) easily, but it’s a big step up in grade and class and the quality of horses he is against, so we will find a lot more about him.”
Marble Sands, trained in partnership by David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, was not disgraced in Graded contests over hurdles last term and impressed at Ayr on his chasing bow.
Nicky Henderson’s No Ordinary Joe was runner-up to Iroko at the Cheltenham Festival and with the form of that Martin Pipe working out extremely well, he also merits respect on his debut over fences.
Emma Lavelle’s Tightenourbelts completes the field following a taking 10-length romp on his introduction to the larger obstacles at Ludlow.
Kevin Sinfield will set out on his latest super-human fundraising feat from Headingley on Friday morning with no end in sight to the initiatives which have so far raised in excess of £8million for research into Motor Neurone Disease.
The 43-year-old openly questioned his ability to continue pounding the streets prior to his most recent ‘7 in 7’ ultramarathon challenge last year, but says the overwhelming public support he has encountered is enough to push him forward for the foreseeable future.
Sinfield’s latest quest will take him from Leeds to York Minster on the opening day before six more back-to-back runs that will include visits to Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh and, for the first time in his series of challenges, Dublin.
Sinfield said: “Whilst my knees keep going, I will continue to do my bit and even then, when my knees won’t work like they should, we will find different ways of trying to raise money and awareness.
“We have been part of something that has been pretty powerful over the last couple of years and we are massive humbled by it.
“Last time we thought we shouldn’t go again, (but) on average three times a day people will stop me and tell me somebody they know has MND or someone has passed with MND, and they want us to keep going.
“The plan was to do three, but we haven’t got a cure, and we feel we can make a better impact on people’s lives who have MND, so why would we stop?”
Sinfield started his fundraising quest in support of his Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow in 2020, when he ran seven marathons in seven days, and the following year he ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Welford Road in Leicester to Headingley.
Last year, his ‘7 in 7’ challenge concluded on the pitch at half-time during the men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford.
This year, Sinfield’s final leg will lead him from Twickenham Stadium to The Mall, the traditional finish of the London Marathon.
“I promised myself last time I did the London Marathon that I would enjoy the last stretch so I was able to take a fair bit in,” added Sinfield.
“It will be a bit different with cars and pedestrians, but when we get to that finish point, I am sure we will be pretty tired but pretty happy.”
Sheila Lewis has hailed the input of fellow Welsh trainer Evan Williams having seen Straw Fan Jack finish second in Ascot’s 1965 Chase.
Lewis has always aimed high with her leading light, taking in Grade Ones at both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree last term and it was no different on the eight-year-old’s return to action as he lined up against Shishkin and Pic D’Orhy in the Ascot feature.
With Shishkin refusing to start as the tapes went up, Straw Fan Jack was initially positioned at the rear of the trio who jumped off, but moved up to give Pic D’Orhy a real fright turning for home before giving way and settling for the silver medal after the second last.
Lewis admits she briefly thought her charge might hit the jackpot and having secured prize-money of £16,202 by finishing second, is thankful to the advice of Llancarfan-handler Williams who suggested targeting this race following the success of his own Coole Cody at Ascot in 2022.
“He was brilliant wasn’t he,” said Lewis. “For one minute it did cross my mind, ‘God, what if we won’.
“Evan Williams is always great at giving me advice and he said ‘what are you going to do with Jack?’ and I said ‘I suppose the Paddy Power Gold Cup’.
“He told me ‘I would stay clear of that for the minute and go to Kempton and Ascot for those Graded races. You might be coming up against a Nicholls hotpot but you are running for good money and running some nice races without putting a gun to his head’.
“We’ve picked up £15,000 for finishing second (at Ascot) and that is brilliant for my owners.”
Lewis will now continue to heed Williams’ advice, with Straw Fan Jack set to ply his trade in Graded company and races like Kempton’s Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (January 13) entering calculations for the early part of 2024.
“We will probably stay down that route and I don’t think the handicapper will be too harsh on him,” she continued.
“Evan said to maybe follow the same route as Coole Cody and when he gets another year older he will be stronger and still lightly-raced and he might be able to go for some of the bigger races.
“He’s a very wise man Evan and he’s given me a lot of advice with me being relatively new to it all. He’s been very kind to me like that.”
The trainer – who previously combined running a beauty salon with training her string before turning her attention solely to racing – also anticipates improvement from Straw Fan Jack having struggled to get some serious work into her star chaser prior to his Ascot reappearance.
“I’ve struggled a bit this year as I have a sand circular gallop and you can only do so much,” explained Lewis.
“The rest of the time I have a really steep farmer’s field I go in and because of this weather it has been really, really heavy. I’ve kind of struggled workwise to get him really bang on, but he didn’t disappoint, he stayed on right to the line.
“I definitely think he will come on for the run because of the way he went, Sean (Houlihan, jockey) had to get after him a little bit.
“It wouldn’t have suited him by trailing behind for a while and then he was second and he could have done with someone upsides him to help him travel a bit better. So I would expect him to improve and I’m not saying improve enough to beat the likes of Pic D’Orhy, but he will come on for the run.”
Whether that improvement brings big-race success or not, for now the Brecon handler is content to keep enjoying the big occasions having switched her beautician’s tunic for winter afternoons chasing victories at some of the UK’s biggest racecourses.
Lewis added: “Last year when we went for the Arkle and the Grade One in Aintree we were picking up good prize-money for fourth and for a small yard to have a horse like this, you normally have to spend hundreds of thousands. So we are just enjoying the big days and whatever happens is a bonus.
“To have a horse like that and go to these places is a dream. When I set out in my training career I didn’t set out to be the next Venetia Williams or anything, but what I did wish for was one really lovely horse to take me to some nice places and live the dream for a while.”
Officials at Newbury will stage a precautionary inspection at 7.30am to decide whether day one of the track’s Coral Gold Cup meeting on Friday can go ahead as scheduled.
The Berkshire circuit is due to host to a quality two-day fixture, with Grade Two honours up for grabs in both the Coral Long Distance Hurdle and the John Francome Novices’ Chase on Friday’s card.
Ground staff covered the entire course earlier this week in an attempt to guard against the cold snap – but while conditions were described as raceable on Thursday morning, a forecast for another night of sub-zero temperatures has prompted clerk of the course George Hill to call an early-morning check.
It is a similar story ahead of Doncaster’s National Hunt meeting on Friday, with a precautionary inspection also set to take place at 7.30am on Town Moor.
Clerk of the course Paul Barker said: “We’d race today, but temperatures are due to drop again this evening, lower than they’ve been for the last two nights, and daytime temperatures tomorrow aren’t as warm as they are today.
“There’s a chance of wintry showers this evening, so fingers crossed we get a bit of cloud cover which will help us stay above freezing.
“We dropped just below freezing last night and tonight we’re due to get down to minus 2C and temperatures are going to struggle to get above 2C by lunchtime.
“It’s only right we look at it in the morning and see what’s happened overnight.”
A full programme of racing is set to take place on Thursday after jumps meetings at Lingfield and Taunton passed morning inspections.
Ty Lue enthused "that's what it should look like" after the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 131-117 on Wednesday.
The Clippers have yet to fully gel since the arrival of James Harden in a blockbuster trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, but they bounced back from a loss to the Denver Nuggets in style.
Kawhi Leonard and Harden combined for 60 points, with the latter providing six assists, as the Clippers eased to a victory that took them 10th in the Western Conference.
"That's what it should look like, guys," Lue said. "That's what it should look like right there. Now, we've got to duplicate it again and again and again."
Harden finished with 26 points, and nailed five of his eight 3-pointer attempts.
"I think James just wanted to prove to y'all that he is James Harden. And so he can do that on a nightly basis," added Lue.
Harden said: "I live in the real world, where I control what I can control, focus on what I got to do every single day and that's all I can control."
One consistent performer so far for the Clippers has been Kawhi Leonard, who has played in all 17 games this season.
"I mean it was years trying to get through that wall," Leonard said.
"I've been dealing with this right knee injury for a while, since 2016-17, even going through the Raptors' [championship] run, that being my first year going so far [in the playoffs with knee issues], just put another toll on it.
"Now I feel good coming out of games and I don't feel anything. So just want to keep going and that's my goal is just to stay healthy and the rest will play itself out."
Next up for the Clippers is a meeting with the Golden State Warriors, who are one place below them in the West.
Equinox, the world’s highest-rated racehorse, has been retired to stud.
The four-year-old was a stunning winner of the Japan Cup in Tokyo last Sunday, showing an electric turn of foot to win by four lengths from a field full of previous Group and Grade One winners.
That victory saw Tetsuya Kimuda’s charge extend his winning streak to six, with the son of Kitasan Black last suffering defeat when edged out in the Japanese Derby in May of last year.
Equinox has since won two editions of the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen at home, with his sole international success coming in the Dubai Sheema Classic back in March, when he easily accounted for Ralph Beckett’s dual Group One winner Westover by three and a half lengths.
The colt retires having won more than £14million in prize money and his regular rider Christophe Lemaire paid tribute in a social media post illustrated with a picture of the pair after their latest Tokyo victory.
He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Equinox: ‘keep safe guys, I did my time!’ Christophe: ‘you reached the top partner, retirement well deserved. Enjoy! And thank you.'”
Charlie Lindgren had a spectacular 37-save performance and Connor McMichael and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist as the Washington Capitals held off the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1 on Wednesday.
Lindgren allowed Arthur Kaliyev’s goal midway through the first period before stopping all 27 shots over the final two periods.
The Kings had a five-game winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the second time in the last 15 games (11-2-2).
Cam Talbot faced just 15 shots as he dropped to 7-2-0 in his last nine starts.
Rangers rally past Red Wings
Jimmy Vesey scored the go-ahead goal with 4:15 left in the third period and Igor Shesterkin turned away 26 shots as the New York Rangers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Second-period goals by Moritz Seider and Robby Fabbri gave Detroit a 2-1 lead but K’Andre Miller drew the Rangers even midway through the third and Vesey batted a rebound out of mid-air and past Ville Husso for the game-winner.
Artemi Panarin also scored for NHL-leading New York, which rebounded from Monday’s loss to Buffalo to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this season.
Husso made a season-high 38 saves, but Detroit had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Armia’s late goal lifts Canadiens
Joel Armia snapped a tie with 2:57 remaining in regulation to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored in the second period and Gustav Lindstrom added an empty-net goal as the Canadiens won for the third time in four games following a four-game skid.
Patrik Laine and Yegor Chinakov scored for the Blue Jackets, who had won three of four.
Sam Montembeault made 26 saves to help Montreal close a five-game road trip 3-2.
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent announced his retirement from rowing on this day in 2004, three months after his final triumph in Athens in the coxless fours.
Pinsent, then 34, said he had lost his desire to train since securing his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the summer.
“After Sydney I was happy to throw myself into a four-year campaign. After Athens it has been different, I think my body knows it is done,” said Pinsent.
“I always said I would retire after Athens and so it has proved. I will be cheering you on from the beer tent, perhaps a bit drunk and a bit jealous.”
Pinsent had helped Sir Steve Redgrave to three of his five consecutive Olympic titles but the victory in Athens – secured in a photo finish over Canada – was arguably the finest of his career as he broke out of his old team-mate’s shadow and defied the odds.
Pinsent had been unbeaten at a major championships for 12 years but that run came to an end in 2003 as Britain’s preparations for the Olympics were marred by injuries and crew changes.
That meant Canada started as favourites but Pinsent, joined by James Cracknell, Ed Coode and Steve Williams, snatched victory by 0.08 seconds.
Pinsent had previously won Olympic gold in the coxless pairs alongside Redgrave 1992 and 1996, with the pair then joining Cracknell and Tim Foster in the coxless four in 2000.
As Pinsent announced he was stepping away, Redgrave predicted his former team-mate would do as he had done, reversing his 1996 retirement to triumph again four years later, but Pinsent was true to his word and has gone on to make a new career in broadcasting.
He was knighted a month after his retirement as part of the New Year’s Honours list.
The Orlando Magic moved within one of the franchise record with their eighth straight win, as Franz Wagner scored 31 points in a 139-120 victory Wednesday over the reeling Washington Wizards.
Cole Anthony added 25 points and Jalen Suggs had 22 for the Magic, who are one win shy of the longest streak in team history set in 1994 and matched twice this century.
Orlando set season highs in 3-pointers (17) and shooting percentage (60.7) while its reserves outscored Washington’s 65-45.
Anthony had his sixth straight game of at least 15 points, all off the bench. In those six games, he has averaged 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Deni Avdija had 22 as the Wizards dropped to 1-10 in their last 11 games.
Lakers send Pistons to franchise-record 15th straight loss
D’Angelo Russell poured in a season-high 35 points and Anthony Davis had 28 with 16 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back for a 133-107 rout of the Detroit Pistons, their franchise-record 15th consecutive loss.
LeBron James added 25 points and the Lakers, coming off a 138-94 loss to Philadelphia in the most lopsided loss of his career, started fast with a 38-24 lead after one quarter and were never seriously threatened.
Detroit broke the franchise record after sharing it with three teams that had 14-game skids during the 2021-22, 1993-94 and 1979–80 seasons.
Raptors end Suns’ winning streak
Scottie Barnes scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and Pascal Siakam added 22 in the Toronto Raptors’ 112-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns, who had a seven-game winning streak stopped.
Jakob Poetl had 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and Precious Achiuwa contributed 14 and 10 rebounds as the Raptors avoided a third straight loss.
Kevin Durant scored 30 points after missing two games with a sore foot, but Devin Booker managed only eight points on 2 of 12 from the field, including 0 for 4 on 3-pointers.
Booker, who missed a 3 that would have tied it with 50 seconds remaining, hobbled to the bench early in the second half after stepping on Dennis Schröder’s foot but was able to return.
The New Orleans Pelicans will get shooting guard C.J. McCollum back on Wednesday night when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
McCollum hasn't played since being diagnosed with small pneumothorax in his right lung on Nov. 5.
He averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals to help the Pelicans win four of their first six games this season.
McCollum was selected 10th overall by Portland in the 2013 NBA Draft before the Trail Blazers traded him to New Orleans in February 2022.
Since being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2015-16, McCollum has made 1,513 3-pointers to rank sixth in the league among active players.
Aaron Rodgers has taken the next step towards a potential return before the end of the season, as the New York Jets designated the star quarterback to return from injured reserve on Wednesday.
The move allows Rodgers, recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon he suffered in the Sept. 11 season opener, to resume practising and gives the Jets a 21-day window to return him to the active roster.
NFL.com reported earlier this month that Rodgers was targeting the Jets' home game against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 24 as a potential return date. The four-time NFL MVP, who turns 40 on Saturday, has stated that he would only play again this season if physically able and if the Jets are still in the playoff race.
New York currently sits two games behind the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC's final wild card spot after losing its last four games to drop to 4-7.
Jets coach Robert Saleh said that it's still unclear whether Rodgers will be back this season, as he categorised the decision to open the veteran's practice window as the next part of the rehabilitation process.
"This isn't so much getting ready to play as it is a progression in his rehab," Saleh told reporters Wednesday.
Saleh added that Rodgers will be limited to light throwing drills this week and has yet to be cleared for contact.
"What he will be doing in practice is no different than what he'd be doing on (a side field) as (the media) watch it," he said. "With regards to certain drills and individual, being able to throw ... instead of throwing with staff members he'll be throwing with teammates.
"There's no added risk to it. There's certain things he's been cleared for that we're going to allow him to do."
Should Rodgers play again in 2023, it would complete a remarkably speedy recovery from a serious injury, as Achilles tears generally require a rehab period between nine and 12 months.
Rodgers was injured on the Jets' third official play from scrimmage of the season when he was sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd in New York's Week 1 win over the Bills, bringing a sudden and shocking ending to one of the most anticipated player debuts with a new team in NFL history.
The Jets acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, the team he spent his first 18 seasons with and led to a Super Bowl title in 2010, in April.
Rodgers' injury has greatly dampened hopes for a Jets team that entered the season with very high aspirations, with inconsistent quarterback play a major factor in their disappointing record.
The Jets rank 30th of 32 teams in scoring at 14.8 points per game and 31st in total offense with Zach Wilson seeing the majority of time as Rodgers' replacement. Saleh benched Wilson in favor of journeyman TIm Boyle for last week's 34-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Conor Benn’s hopes of fighting Chris Eubank Jr in the UK have been dealt a blow after the British Boxing Board of Control rejected an application to stage the bout in this country.
Robert Smith, general secretary of the governing body, told talkSPORT on Wednesday that the BBBoC made the decision because it believes the investigation into Benn’s two failed drugs tests remains ongoing.
Benn and Eubank Jr had been due to fight in a catchweight contest last October, but the bout had to be cancelled days out from the event after Benn tested positive for banned substance Clomifene on two occasions.
It resulted in Benn being hit with a provisional suspension and while it was announced in July that he had been cleared by an independent National Anti-Doping Panel, the BBBoC and UK Anti-Doping appealed against the decision to lift Benn’s provisional ban.
Benn was able to fight for the first time in 525 days in September but his unanimous points victory over Rodolfo Orozco had to be staged in Florida.
It did still appear to open the door for a long-awaited clash with Eubank Jr, but talks over a potential February 3 date could now be scuppered.
Smith told talkSPORT: “The Board feel that any athlete, not just a boxer, but any athlete who has failed a drugs test needs to go through an investigation with the proper authorities and that hasn’t happened.
“We’re waiting for that to happen and the Boxing Board and UKAD have been pushing for that to happen right from the beginning of this and unfortunately it’s been delayed, not through the Boxing Board of Control or UKAD, but through other parties.
“With regard to Mr Benn boxing in this country, we have had an application for him to box in this country, that has been refused.”
The PA news agency has contacted promoters Matchroom and Wasserman Boxing, but both have declined to comment.
Benn and Eubank Jr traded blows over social media on Monday night with the former teasing the date of the proposed fight between the sons of old rivals Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.
“I’ll remind you of this when you are being scraped up off the f****** canvas. Feb 3 I’m ending your career,” Benn said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
However, any potential fight to settle the feud may have to take place overseas or be licensed in England by an alternative boxing body.
Harry Derham is eager to see further progress from Brentford Hope when he lines up in the Coral Bet Bundles Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
A useful operator in both codes for Richard Hughes previously, he has won three times in just four starts for his new handler, with Derham having seemingly found the key to unlock the talented six-year-old’s full potential.
He returned with an emphatic 16-length success over the Gerry Feilden course and distance earlier this month and having been raised 11lb by the handicapper, now faces the toughest jumping assignment of his career as he takes on Nicky Henderson’s big-race fancy Under Control.
Also a track-and-trip scorer and a winner of four of her five career appearances, the unexposed four-year-old comes with a fearsome reputation in a race Henderson has won three times in the last four years and Derham concedes Brentford Hope’s task would be much simpler without Under Control’s presence.
“I think Under Control is pretty hard to ignore and her form looks pretty good to me, I would much rather she wasn’t in the race,” said Derham.
“She’s obviously a course-and-distance winner too, but I’m very pleased with Brentford Hope. He will have improved for that last run but he would have needed to.
“He’s a good horse and he looks to me like he has improved this season. It was nice to see what he did at Newbury, although maybe he won a bit too far.
“He’s a good horse but Saturday will be a really big test for him so he will have needed to improve.
“I wouldn’t have minded the ground to be a little bit wetter to be honest. I would have loved it to have been a bit slower and it looks like it has dried up quite a lot this week, but he will take his chance and hopefully he will run a big race.”
Owen Farrell has received the full backing of England head coach Steve Borthwick after deciding to take a break from international rugby to prioritise his and his family’s mental health.
It means that England captain Farrell, who has led England at the last two World Cups and won 112 caps, will not be available for this season’s Six Nations Championship.
In his absence – no date has been announced for a Test return – and following the international retirement of Courtney Lawes, Bristol prop Ellis Genge is a probable successor as skipper.
George Ford would be favourite to take Farrell’s fly-half role for the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on February 3, with Marcus Smith also a contender.
Borthwick said: “Everyone at England Rugby is fully behind Owen’s decision.
“Since making his debut, he has been an integral part of the England set-up for over a decade, and the demands on elite athletes are extremely challenging.
“He is an exemplary player, captain and leader and always gives his all for his country.
“It is with typical courage that Owen has made this decision to open up in this manner.
“Together with all of us at England Rugby, I will do everything I can to ensure that he has the support he requires going forward.”
In a statement announcing the surprise – and sobering – development, Farrell’s club Saracens said: “Owen Farrell has decided to take a break from international rugby in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being.
“This means he will not be available for selection for the 2024 Six Nations.
“He will continue to play for Saracens and captain the club.
“As always, Owen will have the full support of everyone at the club.”
The Rugby Players’ Association, meanwhile, added: “Owen Farrell has the unconditional support of everyone at the RPA.
“He is a leader and figurehead in the English game, but is also an individual, husband and father. His well-being comes first, and we will support him in every way we can, going forward.”
Farrell led England to a third-place World Cup finish in France last month, but the tournament build-up proved far from plain-sailing for him.
He was sent off in a World Cup warm-up game against Wales, only for an independent disciplinary panel to cause an outcry when it cleared him following a shoulder-led tackle to the head of Wales forward Taine Basham, which was expected to result in a significant ban.
World Rugby then appealed that decision, and he received a four-match ban that included England’s opening two World Cup fixtures against Argentina and Japan.
Farrell’s father – Ireland head coach Andy Farrell – labelled media coverage of the episode “a circus”, while Borthwick said in August: “The commentary around it seems to move from an issue around the tackle to personal attacks on the character of the man, which I think is just wrong.”
Farrell, 32, was subjected to considerable attacks on social media, and at times during the World Cup he was booed by sections of the crowd during England games.
Having made his England debut in 2012, Farrell has amassed an England record 1,237 points, recently overtaking Jonny Wilkinson.
He captained England at the World Cup in the 2019 and 2023 tournaments and has also featured on three British and Irish Lions tours.
Judd Trump stormed into the quarter-finals of the UK Championship with a 6-0 win over Jamie Jones in York.
The 34-year-old had been suffering the apparent effects of flu as he arrived at the tournament, but followed up his opening 6-1 victory win over Pang Junxu with another convincing display.
Trump – who became only the fifth player in history to win three back-to-back ranking tournaments last month – never looked back after starting with a break of 100, for a 950th career century.
Welshman Jones continued to be punished for mistakes, with Trump capitalising to take the third frame with a break of 59 before another half-century saw him heading into the interval with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Although Jones built a potential frame-winning chance when back on the table, his run ended at 44 which allowed Trump to close out the fifth before sealing victory in the next by 84-0.
Trump has reached the final of the UK Championship three times, winning his solitary title in 2011, and on current form looks a strong contender for this year’s trophy.
“I feel like if I can get through those first couple of rounds then I’m playing amazing and it takes something really special to beat me,” Trump said to BBC Sport following his win over Jones.
“A lot of other players perform the same in all conditions, but my cue action, where I come across the ball and hit with a little bit of side at impact, I have to get used to how the table is playing with side a lot more than other players.
“The first game I am really nervous, but when I know how I am playing on the table it just becomes easy for me.”
Trump will face either Mark Selby or Barry Hawkins in the last eight.
“I am full of confidence, but also the opposition hasn’t stood up to me, which sometimes I don’t really like because you get through too easy and you’re not pushed,” Trump said.
“I know in the next game whoever I play, I am going to have to up my standard.”
On the other table during Wednesday’s afternoon session at the Barbican, Ding Junhui saw off Tom Ford 6-3 to reach the last eight.
Ding opened with breaks of 126 and 110, but Ford hit back with runs of 118 and 98 to level the match.
It remained a close contest as Ford battled to stay in touch, before Ding edged the eighth frame and then closed out victory with a break of 106, which should secure his place in next year’s Masters.
Dan Skelton has the Finale Juvenile Hurdle in mind for Kourosh after he strolled to victory on his British debut at Wetherby.
The well-backed 8-11 favourite was on winner on the Flat in Germany and in truth had little to beat in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Juvenile Maiden Hurdle.
Harry Skelton sent him into an early lead and he must have almost been a distance clear at one point in the straight, before being heavily eased to win by 21 lengths.
The Finale at Chepstow on December 27 has been downgraded to a Grade Two for this season.
Skelton said: “He’s a nice horse, from the first time we showed him a hurdle he’s wanted to jump which is a great attitude to have for a juvenile.
“He stayed a mile and six in Germany so the trip was never going to be an issue and he handles very soft ground. I think he can take pretty high standing.
“There are a few races worth a few quid in mind and with the laid-back attitude he has I’d have no problem going to Chepstow with him for the Finale. I know there’ll be some fancier horses going but they’ll need to show their liking for the ground whereas we’ve got that in our pocket already.”
He added: “I’ve got some nice juveniles, I run one next week called Le Fauve that came from France who is quite useful.”
Sam Drinkwater’s Gallic Geordie (5-1) won the feature Peter Beaumont Handicap Chase under Ned Fox.
“He pricks his ears when he’s in front but he has plenty of ability,” said Fox.
“He ran well first time out and everything fell in his favour today.”
Sue Smith’s Cerendipity (11-4) was thought highly enough of to run in the EBF Final at Sandown last season and got off the mark over fences at the second time of asking.
A fair third at Sedgefield first time out, he beat two useful types in Ukantango and Missed Tee and the six-year-old can only keep on improving.
Daryl Jacob was in saddle due to his association with owner Aafke Clarke, who has had the classy Midnight Shadow, the 2021 Paddy Power Gold Cup winner run in her colours.
Jacob said: “He’s getting there. He had a problem with his wind with that has been sorted.
“Sue picked out this race, it looked the right one to go for and he’s rewarded them.
“He’s a typical one of Sue and Harvey (Smith), he’ll keep on improving.”
The excellent Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero bagged another winner when No But I Will (7-2) held off Skelton’s Snipe in the Visit racingtv.com Handicap Chase.
Henry Brooke, who has struck up a good relationship with the yard, said: “His jumping is a big asset, but I didn’t give him the best of rides there. I got involved far too soon, but I was just anxious the one in front was getting a freebie.
“He’s a funny little horse to ride as he never really takes you anywhere, but he’s got a decent little engine on him when you rev him up.”
The Skeltons also had to settle for second with The Village Way in the Watch Race Replay At Racing TV Novices’ Hurdle as Toonagh Warrior (5-2) gained a first victory at the eighth attempt.
Now with Stuart Edmunds, he had previously been trained in Ireland by Philip Fenton.
Audacious Annie (11-8 favourite) won the closing mares’ bumper in fine style for Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan.
The winner is a half-sister the classy stablemate You Wear It Well.
“She’s a really lovely mare, her owner, Semore Kurdi, sent her to me as we’d done such a good job with her sister and if she’s half as good we’ll be happy,” said Snowden.
“We’ll see how she comes out of this, but it would be lovely to think we could go for some black type.”
Natasha Jonas will consider facing Mikaela Mayer over three-minute rounds but believes more time in the ring should equate to greater financial rewards.
Jonas will defend her IBF world welterweight title against Mayer across 10 two-minute rounds at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on January 20, but her American opponent wants the contest to be be brought into line with the men’s sport.
Only a small handful of women’s fights have taken place over the longer distance and Mayer is hopeful their clash will be added to that list, stating that she has already made the request to promoter Ben Shalom.
Jonas will discuss the change with Shalom, who believes that shorter rounds lead to more explosive fights and therefore provide greater entertainment, but insists it could not happen without other issues being addressed.
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“It wasn’t ever something that was talked about. I presumed that it would be 10 twos because that’s what the fights are. There was never an option to do three minutes,” Jonas told the PA news agency.
“For me, three minutes is a good thing. I’m sure Ben might say something different. We’ll have the discussion, but there are a lot of other things involved – if we do longer rounds are we going to get paid more?
“It opens a can of worms. We want fairer pay. No one is saying we want equal pay, but it’s got to be fair and show that if you’re doing more rounds then you’re going to get more money. That would be a good thing.
“But the WBC said this week that they’re never going to change their rounds, so if I want to become unified champion then I’d have to do three minutes and then go back to the two. So it’s also about which belt you’re boxing for.”
Jonas returns to her native Liverpool after clinching two wins in Manchester with her hunger for the sport as strong as ever at the age of 39.
One of the driving forces for the first British women’s boxer to compete at an Olympic Games is to continue setting an example to her seven-year-old daughter Mela, who could attend one of her mum’s fights for the first time on January 20.
“I want to make her proud and show her that no matter how tough things are, if you work hard and don’t give up and you believe in yourself, then anything is possible,” two-weight world champion Jonas said.
“To be a good role model and the kind of person I needed when I was little that I didn’t see, other than young females in the sport and just girls in Toxteth in general.
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“She watches my fights at home and hasn’t been to one yet, but is umming and ahing about this one. I take her to boxing shows all the time and she’s like ‘oh mum!’
“I know how tough it is to keep her entertained from the start of a boxing show until the end, so to put that on to somebody else is a big ask and that’s why she doesn’t come to mine.
“It’s nothing to do with the actual fight and physicality stuff, it’s more to do with keeping her still and happy.
“Mummy boxes, that’s what she knows. She’s been through camps with me in lockdown.
“She’s always known that mummy boxes and mummy goes to the gym. She’s seen the whole picture now and she gets it.”
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