Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter is backed to benefit from a return to a left-handed track when he lines up for the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Friday.
The eight-year-old is twice the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and started his chasing career earlier this season.
His debut over fences was a success at Cheltenham in October, where he beat Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Broadway Boy by two and half lengths to land a novice chase over three miles and half a furlong.
His next outing came at Punchestown in the Florida Pearl, where he drifted left around the right-handed track and was eventually inconvenienced by a loose horse in finishing third.
Cromwell expects Flooring Porter to be happier back on a left-handed track and is happy to put a line through that last run.
“He’s back going left-handed, he’s very well,” the trainer said.
“The ground is going to be very testing, but he should be fine on it and I’m looking forward to it.
“It was just one of the those races (Punchestown) to put a line through and forget about going into tomorrow.”
Meanwhile Broadway Boy has done a great deal to boost the form of his and Flooring Porter’s earlier encounter, winning twice more back at Cheltenham with two impressive performances.
Cromwell said of those runs: “I was glad to see him do so well, it makes it interesting for our horse.”
A key rival at Leopardstown will be the Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross, another horse with two chasing runs under his belt this term.
Third on debut at Naas behind Grangeclare West and Heart Wood, the chestnut was then the winner of a competitive beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse when beating Three Card Brag to get off to mark over the larger obstacles.
The six-year-old now steps up in trip and grade under Mark Walsh in the silks of owner JP McManus.
Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: “He’s in good form and Emmet’s happy with him.
“He’s stepping up to three miles over fences and we hope that will suit him.
“He’ll have learnt a lot from that last run and hopefully will have come forward for it, we’re looking forward to seeing him run.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Grangeclare West comes into the race in winning form having not run since the Naas contest in which he beat Corbetts Cross.
Favori De Champdou, winner of the Florida Pearl, will represent Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade runs Flanking Maneuver in the same silks of Gigginstown House Stud.
The field is completed by Tullyhogue Fort, a seven-year-old who has been busy all through the summer and into the new season.
Daryl Jacob is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to ride Impaire Et Passe in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday.
Only four are due to go to post in the two-mile Grade One, and three of those are trained by Willie Mullins.
It is an event Mullins has farmed in recent years – since 2010 he has won all bar three renewals, with Hurricane Fly and Sharjah winning four apiece.
Last year the champion trainer was successful with State Man and he lines up once more as the choice of Paul Townend.
That meant the ride on last year’s hugely impressive Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner Impaire Et Passe was free and as retained rider to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede in the UK, Jacob was in pole position.
Impaire Et Passe lost his unbeaten record on his seasonal return in the Hatton’s Grace, and Mullins has taken the decision to drop him in trip to two miles. But Jacob feels the testing ground will make it more of a stamina test.
“I’m very much looking forward to riding him. He’s a very exciting horse for Simon and Isaac and everyone and this is another step on the ladder for him,” said Jacob.
“He’s racing over two miles for the first time in a while, but I’ve been in Ireland all week and there has been a lot of rain.
“The hurdle course on Wednesday went soft then heavy, but he has handled that sort of ground, he’s won over further and he has got speed.
“He’s a hugely exciting horse and I’m very grateful for the opportunity, I can’t wait to ride him.
“I rode him out on Thursday morning, he seems in really good form and I really don’t see the ground being an issue at all.”
Jacob has enjoyed a particularly fruitful spell of late and is operating at a strike-rate of over 40 per cent for the past two weeks, and he would love to top it off with a Grade One.
“I’ve had a nice few winners of late, but a Grade One win before the new year would be lovely,” he said.
Understandably given his choice, Townend feels State Man sets the standard given the only horse who has finished in front of him when he has completed since joining Mullins is Constitution Hill.
He told his Ladbrokes blog: “He seems to set the standard this side of the water. His only defeat was by Constitution Hill last year. It’s interesting he’s being taken on by Impaire Et Passe.
“I thought Impaire Et Passe ran with a lot of credit in the Hatton’s Grace in Fairyhouse. He has a run under his belt and State Man won the Morgiana.
“It’s a big test, but State Man played at the top table all last season and sets the standard. The pair are sure to make a good race of it.”
Mullins also runs the mare Echoes In Rain, while Gordon Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies is the only other contender.
A village resident has told of houses in states of “absolute disaster” after a “localised tornado” hurtled through a town in Greater Manchester.
Strong gusts whipped through Stalybridge, in Tameside, on Wednesday, damaging around 100 properties, according to the council.
No injuries were reported but many residents were forced to leave their homes.
Hayley McCaffer, who lives with her partner in the village of Carrbrook, told the PA news agency that they have been “fairly lucky” compared with some of their neighbours.
Ms McCaffer, 40, said: “Some of the neighbours’ houses are an absolute disaster – the roof missing, gable ends gone, cars squished with all the stone that’s come off the houses.
“Luckily for us, very luckily, we were in the pub last night when it happened.
“We weren’t here, but also we had parked our car there and looking at the state of our driveway – one of the walls has come down – we were very lucky that it wasn’t parked there because it would have not been in a good state today.”
She said she was alerted to the “tornado” by a phone call from her mother, who lives locally and whose roof was partially ripped off by winds before parts landed on her car.
Emergency services were cordoning off the area when Ms McCaffer and her partner arrived back at their home, and they allowed them to enter and collect some essentials.
“It was dark so we could see big piles of debris and people’s bits of houses missing,” she told PA.
She and her partner were “evacuated” and remain unsure when they will be able to get back into their home.
“But we were safe and that was the main thing,” she added.
“We’ve got insurance, hopefully that will be covered.
“And, you know, when things like this happen, there’s lots of people who are worse off than us, so we can’t really complain too much.”
Patricia Watkinson, who also lives in Carrbrook, was away in Norfolk when gusts swept through the village but was told by a neighbour that apart from a “dangling” aerial her home appears undamaged.
The 83-year-old told the PA news agency: “I’m glad I wasn’t there.
“My neighbour, she just rang me, and her shed is gone and the fence is gone. Hopefully, all that is wrong with mine is the aerial dangling.”
Michael Schumacher’s one-time rival Damon Hill has described the German’s plight as a “terrible tragedy” and a reminder to “treasure every day”.
On Friday, it will mark 10 years since Schumacher’s skiing accident in the French Alps where he hit his head on a rock and suffered a near-fatal brain injury.
Schumacher, now 54, has been kept out of public view ever since, with only a handful of visitors allowed inside the family home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland where he is receiving round-the-clock medical care.
The former Ferrari and Benetton driver claimed the first of his seven world championships following a controversial season finale in Adelaide in 1994 where he was accused of ramming Hill off the road.
Reflecting on Schumacher’s condition, Hill, 63, told the PA news agency: “It is a terrible tragedy. This is not how you want anyone to end up.
“It makes you treasure every day and be thankful for your good fortune. I think about his family. It is so hard for them.”
Updates regarding Schumacher’s health have been few and far between, and a representative for the family told PA that there are no plans to acknowledge the anniversary of his accident.
His wife Corinna, offered a rare insight on her husband’s state in a Netflix documentary in 2021.
“I miss Michael every day,” said Corinna, who has enforced a wall of secrecy to protect one of the biggest names in modern sporting times.
“But it is not just me who misses him. It’s the children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.
“Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength. We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.
“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.”
Schumacher added to the two titles he won at Benetton with five championship triumphs for Ferrari at the turn of the century, posting a series of records many viewed as untouchable.
Lewis Hamilton has since matched Schumacher’s collection of titles and surpassed his 91 wins. Hamilton, 38, who is contracted to drive for Mercedes until the end of 2025, has 103 victories.
Schumacher’s son, Mick, is currently a reserve driver for Hamilton’s Mercedes team having spent two seasons with Haas before he was dropped at the end of last year.
Cheltenham and Newbury are two possible ports of call for Shishkin following his following his luckless run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The nine-year-old was leading the field after jumping the penultimate fence in the Boxing Day highlight, only to stumble a couple of strides after the obstacle and unseat Nico de Boinville.
That was Shishkin’s first run of the campaign after he refused to start at Ascot in November and trainer Nicky Henderson felt he would have been staying on all the way to the line were it not for his mishap.
He said: “Shishkin is fine. I was a bit concerned that he might have hit something and occurred some damage but he doesn’t appear to have done so I’m 100 per cent happy on that front. It was just one of those things I guess.
“I’m not going to say he would have won, but the consensus of opinion is that he probably would have done as he wasn’t stopping.
“He was really coming up at every fence, and he seemed to be travelling well. I’m pretty sure he would have kept on galloping as he galloped all the way to the line at Aintree.
“Our biggest concern was that he hadn’t had a run. When he has not had a run he controls us, but we are now in control as he has got that run under his belt and he will be a much easier horse to train.”
Shishkin was having just his second start at three miles at Kempton, having previously delivered eight chase victories up to two miles and five furlongs, including the 2021 Arkle, the 2022 Clarence House Chase and the 2023 Ascot Chase.
Henderson switched Shishkin to three miles and a furlong for the Aintree Bowl back in April and he has the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (January 27) and the Betfair Denman Chase (February 10) over staying trips on his mind.
The trainer said: “I don’t know what to do at the moment and we are just mulling it over. I don’t think we will come back in trip for the Ascot Chase, even though he did win that last year.
“You have got the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and the Denman Chase at Newbury and they are the only two real possibilities for him before the Gold Cup.
“It will either be one of them, or none of them, but what he needs is experience and a nice clear round.”
While Shishkin was out of luck at Kempton, Jango Baie ensured the team did secure Grade One glory in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
Previously run as the Tolworth at Sandown in January, the rescheduled and renamed contest produced a fine finish as Jango Baie held off Favour And Fortune by just under three lengths in the hands of James Bowen.
Henderson could now look to edge up in distance from an extended two miles with the four-year-old, as the trainer has strength in depth in the novice hurdle sphere with the likes of Jeriko Du Reponet and Willmount taking high order.
“It was great for James Bowen to get his first Grade One as he is a big part of the team here at Seven Barrows. He deserved it and so did the horse, while it was great to get a Grade One for his connections,” said Henderson.
“I’d like to see him run over a little bit further as I’m not sure that trip was far enough for him at Aintree.
“I’ve got a couple of other nice prospects to run this weekend, so we will see what they do then we will make a plan.”
Fastorslow will miss the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to the testing ground.
Martin Brassil’s charge was due to clash with fellow staying heavyweights Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe in a blockbuster renewal of the extended three-mile contest.
However, after 11 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, the ground at Leopardstown is now described as soft, soft to heavy in places – prompting Brassil to rethink running plans.
Fastorslow would have been meeting Galopin Des Champs for a third successive start, having beaten him in both the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of last season and in last month’s John Durkan Chase on the pair’s respective seasonal bows.
Cameron Norrie is raring to go for the new season as he looks to put burn-out and a disappointing run of form behind him.
The British number one slipped from eighth in the rankings last October to 18th at the end of the 2023 season, losing nine of his last 11 matches.
Norrie started the year in fine fashion, beating Rafael Nadal, Taylor Fritz and Alex De Minaur at the United Cup before winning his fifth ATP Tour title in Rio, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
View this post on InstagramBut that good form tailed off dramatically, and Norrie told the PA news agency: “It was still a great year but I was disappointed with the end of it.
“I played well in South America then I lost a lot of close matches towards the end of the year and the confidence dropped a little bit. I think that’s tennis. You drop slightly and that’s the difference between being ranked eight and being ranked 18. But I can’t wait for next season.
“I was winning every big match at the beginning of the year – every three-setter, every tough moment I was coming through and I was doing the right thing. It’s a good lesson there to hold onto that confidence and don’t take it for granted.”
Norrie, who is an ambassador for Lexus, is justifiably proud of the work ethic and dedication that has been a huge part of his rise to the top of the game.
But he also acknowledges that his efforts took their toll at the end of the season, with the 28-year-old taking two weeks off after a second-round defeat to Alexander Zverev in Vienna in October before returning for the Davis Cup Finals last month.
Norrie’s loss to Novak Djokovic ended Great Britain’s campaign in the quarter-finals but it was a performance that offered him encouragement for 2024.
“Next year for sure I’m going to look at the schedule and maybe take one or two weeks to really give myself another week’s rest or another week’s preparation to play well at the biggest tournaments,” said Norrie, who has added Australian Stephen Huss to his coaching team.
“It’s a tough one because you never know when you’re going to be burned out, what you can take. We played quite a lot but I was ready for every single week. I think I played more matches than anyone else in the last three years on tour.
View this post on Instagram“That can add up but I was feeling pretty good throughout the whole year and just a little bit towards the end when I was in Asia I think it just caught up with me a little bit and I just needed a small break. I took two weeks off and I came back and I was so pumped to hit the ball, so clear what to do.”
Norrie has been training at his home in Monte-Carlo, including trekking into the mountains with fitness trainer Vasek Jursik, and will begin his 2024 season on Friday when he teams up with Katie Boulter at the United Cup in Perth, where Britain will take on hosts Australia and the USA.
Reaching the top 10 may already have exceeded most people’s expectations for him but Norrie certainly does not believe he has peaked yet and, with Novak Djokovic turning 37 in May, he hopes he can be one of the players to take advantage of a forthcoming new era in the sport.
He said: “I want to win big tournaments. I just need to look at how to prepare for those, and I need to be playing my best for those.
“I need to stay very patient with myself. My team’s been excellent, I’ve got all the tools, so it’s just about preparing as well as I can and be ready to play well in the weeks where I have opportunities.
“There’s always going to be guys dominating, maybe (Carlos) Alcaraz, possibly (Jannik) Sinner, so there’s always going to be those top guys to beat, but it’s definitely an exciting time in the history of tennis and nice for me to be playing in it.
“I don’t see any reason why (I can’t be a contender). I’ve had wins over Alcaraz and some other top players. Everyone’s improving so it just gets tougher but I’m feeling good.”
Kris Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history with five points in a period and finished with six assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins pounded the New York Islanders, 7-0 on Wednesday.
Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice and Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Pittsburgh stretched its point streak to four games (3-0-1).
Letang assisted on the final five of the Penguins’ six second-period goals to become the first player of any position in franchise history with five points in a period.
He is the seventh defenseman in league history with six assists in a game and the first since Calgary’s Gary Suter on April 4, 1986.
Pittsburgh scored six goals in a single period on the road for the first time since March 21, 2000, also against the Islanders.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 19 of 25 shots over the first two periods before he was replaced by Semyon Varlamov.
New York had a nine-game home point streak (6-0-3) snapped.
MacKinnon extends point streak but Coyotes rally
Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to 19 games, but the Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-goal deficit and beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Jack McBain’s goal with 20 seconds left in overtime.
MacKinnon’s 19th goal with 6:34 left in the second period pushed Colorado’s lead to 4-0 but Lawson Crouse began Arizona’s comeback just over three minutes later.
Michael Kesselring and Jason Zucker scored in the third period before Sean Durzi netted the equaliser with 2:07 left in regulation.
MacKinnon’s streak is one short of the franchise record set by Paul Stastny in 2006-07. MacKinnon has an NHL-high 27 points in December, a career high for a month.
The Coyotes have won five of six following a four-game skid.
Surging Wild defeat Red Wings
Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno scored 52 seconds apart in the third period and the Minnesota Wild tallied four times in the frame in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Marcus Johansson scored twice and Kirill Kaprizov extended his goal streak to four games for Minnesota, which has won four straight and seven of eight. The Wild improved to 11-3-0 since John Hynes took over behind the bench – including seven consecutive home wins.
Patrick Kane scored for the fourth straight game as Detroit lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Kevin Durant registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 129-113 win over the Houston Rockets.
Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak with it first road victory since Nov. 26.
Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns’ 43-point second quarter.
Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams help Thunder win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 36 points apiece and Williams sank a pair of key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-120 victory over the New York Knicks.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the Thunder followed Tuesday’s triumph over Western Conference-leading Minnesota with their fifth win in six games.
Williams scored 17 points on 6 of 7 from the field in the fourth quarter, including eight points and two 3s during a 10-2 run after the Knicks cut their deficit to five with 4:37 remaining.
Julius Randle had 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24 for New York, which had won three of four.
Antetokounmpo, Bucks handle undermanned Nets
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away for a 144-122 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets.
Khris Middleton added 27 points and 10 boards and Cameron Payne and Malik Beasley each hit five 3-pointers as the Bucks improved to 10-2 this month.
Milwaukee shot 23 of 51 from 3-point range and 58.4 percent (52 for 89) overall to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss to the Knicks.
The Nets rested three starters (Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson) and barely played two others one night after a victory in Detroit extended the Pistons’ losing streak an NBA-record 27.
Michael Van Gerwen wants to be the name on everyone’s lips as he continued his search for a fourth World Championship crown.
The Dutchman, who has not won at the Alexandra Palace since 2019, eased through to the fourth round with a 4-0 win over Richard Veenstra.
But for once, Van Gerwen had not been the one people had been talking about as 16-year-old Luke Littler stole the headlines after taking the tournament by storm with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1 in the last 32.
And he was keen for some of the limelight.
“I wish everyone gives me attention because when you get attention it is a pleasure, it is something good,” he said.
“When they talk about you it is a good sign, it means you still mean something to the sport.”
He eased past his compatriot Veenstra and said there was more to come.
“I think there is more to get, I feel comfortable and I feel good and I am looking forward,” he added.
“I was pleased, with the way I played it gave me confidence, that is the way you want to do things. I did what I had to do.”
Defending champion Michael Smith had to work much harder to beat Madars Razma.
‘Bully Boy’ is not performing anywhere near the standard that saw him win a maiden title last year but he did enough to get past Razma 4-1.
“It wasn’t the best performance but I managed to battle on and get over the line in the end,” Smith said.
Scott Williams earlier courted controversy after joking about England winning “two World Wars and one World Cup” following his third-round win over German Martin Schindler.
Williams won a final-set decider to advance 4-3 before making the heavy-handed remark in his post-match interview on Sky Sports.
The match was played in a raucous atmosphere at Alexandra Palace where Williams had most of the support from a partisan crowd, though there was also a German contingent.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his win, Williams said: “What a game! I’m so happy to get to the other side as the winner as well.
“Martin brought the fight and I wasn’t expecting to go all the way to sudden death as well. I’m knackered, I’m absolutely knackered.
“I’ve never had the crowd on my side like that. I know we won two World Wars and one World Cup. The German fans here were huge as well.”
Meanwhile, Rob Cross showed he could be a contender for a second crown after battling into the last 16.
Cross has struggled to hit the heights since his memorable title win on debut in 2018, but enjoyed his best season in 2023 coming into the Alexandra Palace tournament.
He was made to work hard for a 4-2 victory over Jeffrey De Graaf, with the former electrician sparking into life in the final set with an average of 116.
Dave Chisnall’s victory over Gabriel Clemens was more straightforward, as he won 4-1.
A teary Luke Littler is daring to dream after he became the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the World Championship.
The 16-year-old has taken the Alexandra Palace tournament by storm and wowed an adoring crowd with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1 in the last 32.
Littler, who won the World Youth Championship in November, will pocket a guaranteed £35,000 but will have his sights on lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy in what would be one of the greatest ever sporting stories.
He was emotional when hugging his mum after the game having kept his dream alive.
He said: “I started crying when I saw my mum in the crowd. She was nervous. I said to her, ‘The dream continues’. She said the same thing.”
Littler could meet his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 if the Dutchman can beat Jim Williams on Friday, but for now the teenager will treat himself to a shopping spree on Thursday.
“I will stay in the hotel, chill out tomorrow, treat myself to more shoes and pants, chill out and see who I play in the next round,” he said.
“It’s an overall good performance, it’s not like the first round. I’ve said I could win with the lowest average of the tournament, I’m just happy to get through.
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“I’ve got nothing to lose for myself, I’ve over-achieved again. Now I can just settle.
“My game is there (to win it) but I can settle even more, Jim or Raymond next, I’m just happy.
“If Raymond does beat Jim it would be unbelievable to play him and then win or lose against either of them I’m still happy to come out of the Worlds at the last 16, but I would love to go a few more games in.”
It is going to take something special to stop Littler as he is producing form which defies his tender age.
He averaged 97.19, threw eight 180s and produced three 100-plus checkouts, including a majestic 164 in the fifth set.
After disposing of Christian Kist and UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, the teenager returned home for Christmas where he sacrificed time on his Xbox after dinner for a practice session on the board.
And that paid dividends as he made an electric start, winning the first six legs to roar into a 2-0 lead.
Campbell, who returned home to Canada over the festive period before arriving back in the UK on Boxing Day, looked to have a foothold in the third set as he took the first two legs, but a relentless Littler reeled off the next three to move 3-0 up.
He had a match dart to seal a 4-0 whitewash but suffered a rare bout of inaccuracy, which allowed Campbell to get on the board.
Littler hit back in the fifth set, though, hitting two 100-plus checkouts on his way to sealing a famous win.
Teenage sensation Luke Littler’s incredible rise continues after he became the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the World Championship.
The 16-year-old has taken the Alexandra Palace tournament by storm and wowed an adoring crowd with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1.
Littler, who won the World Youth Championship in November, will pocket a guaranteed £35,000 but will have his sights on lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy in what would be one of the greatest ever sporting stories.
It is going to take something special to stop him as he is producing form which defies his tender age.
He averaged 97.19, threw eight 180s and produced three 100-plus checkouts, including a majestic 164 in the fifth set.
A dream last-16 tie with his hero Raymond van Barneveld could be waiting for him on Saturday, if the Dutchman can beat Jim Williams on Friday night.
After disposing of Christian Kist and UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, the teenager returned home for Christmas where he sacrificed time on his Xbox after dinner for a practice session on the board.
And that paid dividends as he made an electric start, winning the first six legs to roar into a 2-0 lead.
Campbell, who returned home to Canada over the festive period before arriving back in the UK on Boxing Day, looked to have a foothold in the third set as he took the first two legs, but a relentless Littler reeled off the next three to move 3-0 up.
He had a match dart to seal a 4-0 whitewash but suffered a rare bout of inaccuracy, which allowed Campbell to get on the board.
Littler hit back in the fifth set, though, hitting two 100-plus checkouts on his way to sealing a famous win.
Speaking on stage after the match, Littler said: “It’s unbelievable. I only wanted to win one game and I have won three and I have battled through it. I am so happy.
“I just let my darts do the talking, everyone on social media saying, ‘He’s this age’, but I let my darts do the talking.
“As soon as I won that first game I have just settled.”
Russell Wilson won't play again this season for the Denver Broncos.
The stunning news that Wilson will be benched was reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Wednesday.
Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Broncos paid a hefty price to acquire Wilson last offseason, and the decision to bench the nine-time Pro Bowler is largely a financial one.
If Wilson were to suffer a significant long-term injury in the final two weeks of this season, he potentially could be owed $37million fully guaranteed if he doesn't pass a physical in early March.
In March of 2022, the Broncos sent multiple players and draft picks to the Seahawks in a trade for Wilson, who led Seattle to a Super Bowl championship following the 2013 season. The Broncos then signed him to a five-year extension worth more than $242million.
That deal is looking like one of the worst contracts in NFL history as Denver finished last in the AFC West last season with a 5-12 record and is on the verge of missing the play-offs for an eighth straight season.
The Broncos are coming off a devastating 26-23 loss to the lowly New England Patriots on Christmas Eve, and have now dropped three of four following a five-game winning streak. They are 7-8 and sit in 12th place in the AFC, and NFL.com gives them just a 7 per cent chance of making the play-offs.
Wilson, however, isn't responsible for all of the team's struggles this season, and has rebounded nicely after a disappointing first season in Denver.
After throwing 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and compiling a career-worst 84.4 QB rating in 2022, Wilson has 26 TDs and eight picks this year for a 98.0 rating - seventh best in the NFL.
His future with the Broncos is murky, however, as the offence has been largely mediocre, ranking 16th in scoring (21.8) and 25th in total yards (298.2).
Stidham has taken just four offensive snaps this season and has yet to attempt a pass. In 14 career games, he's thrown for 926 yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 73.5 rating.
Scott Williams courted controversy after joking about England winning “two World Wars and one World Cup” following his World Championship third-round win over German Martin Schindler.
Williams won a final-set decider to advance 4-3 before making the heavy-handed remark in his post-match interview on Sky Sports.
The match was played in a raucous atmosphere at Alexandra Palace where Williams had most of the support from a partisan crowd, though there was also a German contingent.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his win, Williams said: “What a game! I’m so happy to get to the other side as the winner as well. Martin brought the fight and I wasn’t expecting to go all the way to sudden death as well. I’m knackered, I’m absolutely knackered.
“I’ve never had the crowd on my side like that. I know we won two World Wars and one World Cup. The German fans here were huge as well.”
He added on Twitter after the match: “Thanks for the messages everyone! A few nasty ones from some German fans, but I understand why! Absolutely nothing personal, just a bit of jeering and jesting with the crowd!
“I’m British and Proud!!!!”
Meanwhile, Rob Cross showed he can be a contender for a second crown after battling into the last 16.
Cross has struggled to hit the heights since his memorable title win on debut in 2018, but has enjoyed his best season in 2023 coming into the Alexandra Palace tournament.
He was made to work hard for a 4-2 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf, with the former electrician sparking into life in the final set with an average of 116.
Dave Chisnall’s victory over Gabriel Clemens was more straightforward, winning 4-1.
Meetingofthewaters provided his owner Paul Byrne with another big payday after scooting to victory in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown.
With a total prize fund of €200,000 up for grabs, the three-mile contest is one of the most valuable handicap chases of the season in Ireland and once again attracted a bumper field of 27 runners.
Meetingofthewaters (6-1) was rated just 112 when snapped up by Patrick Mullins out of Eugene O’Sullivan’s yard earlier in the year – and while he was well beaten in his first two starts over fences in his colours and under the tutelage of his father Willie, he was a well-backed favourite when making it third time lucky in lesser company at Cork last month.
Having since been sold to a close friend of the Mullins family in Byrne, who has previously enjoyed big-race success with the likes of The Shunter, Corbetts Cross and Feronily, the six-year-old travelled smoothly into the straight under Danny Mullins and dug deep from the final fence to see off the rallying Panda Boy by four and a half lengths.
Mullins said: “It’s a fantastic result for Paul Byrne. Patrick has a lot to do with (training) this fellow, but I think he was hoping he’d be a Kim Muir horse and that is gone out the window now!
“It’s great prize-money and a tremendous prize to win with a horse like that.
“Paul is great at seeing gaps in the market when buying horses. He’s able to spot horses rather than paying big money. He has an eye for a horse and is able to put a deal together. He probably looks for horses in places that other people don’t.
“He won nicely in Cork and was a young horse improving all the time. It’s a bit of a lottery when you go into a race like this but when you get in at those weights it’s always worth having a crack.”
Meetingofthewaters was one of three winners on the card for the champion trainer, with Mark Walsh steering Dinoblue (9-4) to Grade One success in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase and Joystick toughing out victory as the 11-8 favourite in the concluding bumper under Patrick Mullins.
Mullins, who enjoyed an across-the-card seven-timer on the day with four winners at Limerick, said of Joystick, he said: “He was third in a point-to-point and we went down to see him at the Doyles. He’s a nice staying type and a real chaser in the making.
“He’s a real long-striding, old-fashioned chaser and a nice acquisition. He’ll stick with bumpers this season.”
Intellotto made a successful start to his career over obstacles in the Paddy Power I Have No Idea What Day It Is 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.
Placed twice from three starts on the Flat for trainer Joseph O’Brien, the 10-1 shot travelled smoothly on his jumping bow and passed the post with four and a half lengths in hand under Daryl Jacob.
Paddy Power make Intellotto a 25-1 shot for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
O’Brien said: “The ground was softer than we thought it was going to be but it was a lovely debut. Daryl taught him a lot and he jumped pretty well on the whole.
“I think the logical step would be to come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival.”
The Eoin Griffin-trained One Last Tango (4-1) carried the JP McManus colours to victory in the Paddy Power Who Put The Wrappers Back In The Box Handicap Hurdle, completing a double on the card for the leading owner and jockey Mark Walsh following the earlier Grade One success of Dinoblue.
Griffin said: “He had a promising run on his return when finishing fourth at Navan and he’s come on a little bit from it.
“I was a bit concerned about the ground today, but he handled it well and it’s brilliant to get a winner here at Christmas for JP. It’s been a while since we had a Christmas winner and we’re over the moon.”
Rob Cross showed he can be a contender for a second World Championship crown after battling into the last 16.
Cross has struggled to hit the heights since his memorable title win on debut in 2018, but has enjoyed his best season in 2023 coming into the Alexandra Palace tournament.
He was made to work hard for a 4-2 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf, with the former electrician sparking into life in the final set with an average of 116.
Meanwhile, Scott Williams is happy to be showing what he is capable of after a fine comeback win against Martin Schindler.
‘Shaggy’ followed up his win against seventh seed Danny Noppert before Christmas with a 4-3 win over German Schindler.
Williams, who will break into the world’s top 40 with his run to the last 16, was heading home when he trailed 2-0 and 3-2.
But on both occasions he fought hard to battle back and took the final-set decider.
“I’m so drained, I’m so happy to come out as a victor,” he said.
“I’m a confident guy anyway, regardless of what darts I throw in the practice room, it’s what I do on the stage and you have seen what I can do on the stage.”
Dave Chisnall’s victory over Gabriel Clemens was far more straightforward, winning 4-1.
Emmet Mullins will work back from another tilt at the Randox Grand National with Noble Yeats following his pleasing return to action at Limerick.
The eight-year-old won the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree in 2022 and finished fourth in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and when defending his Grand National crown last season.
Making his first appearance since the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in May, Noble Yeats reverted to the smaller obstacles for the Party Time Hurdle – and while his stable star was beaten by Sa Majeste as a 10-11 favourite, Mullins was satisfied with his performance.
He said: “He took a blow, needed it and hopefully that gets the season going and we can target the spring festivals on better ground.
“He ran his race, was bang there to the second-last hurdle, which he missed, but took a blow after that and needed the run.
“Hopefully there is more to come with him.”
Mullins appears less keen on preparing his charge for the Gold Cup as he looks to get him back to Aintree in April at the top of his game.
He added: “It didn’t work taking in both last season, so I’m thinking about the Grand National more so this year.
“Today’s race was over two and a half miles and on that ground it will leave its mark on him, so we won’t be rushing him back.”
The Simon Torrens-ridden Sa Majeste (11-2) was one of four winners on the card for Mullins’ uncle Willie, with Adrian Heskin aboard Judicieuse Allen and Hauturiere and Jody Townend in the saddle for bumper winner Hens Tooth (4-9).
Judicieuse Allen finished with a wet sail to justify 6-5 favouritism in the Goggin Buckley Mares Maiden Hurdle, while Hauturiere (11-2) took Grade Two honours with a dominant display in the McMahons Builders Providers Irish EBF Dawn Run Mares Novice Chase.
Heskin said: “I am very grateful to Willie for the opportunities today. I knew at the start of the season it wouldn’t be easy to get going (back in Ireland), but I’m getting great support from a lot of smaller trainers.
“That (Judicieuse Allen) was my first ride for Willie. I ride out two days a week there, a day a week in Henry De Bromhead’s and another day in Tony Martin’s and anywhere I can for the other days.
“It is great to be getting the backing of Willie Mullins and after today’s winners, it has been a good year.”
A treble at Leopardstown meant Mullins enjoyed an across-the-card seven-timer in all.
With two games to go in the NFL season, the Washington Commanders are making a change at quarterback.
Jacoby Brissett moves into the starting role for Sunday's game against the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers.
Coach Ron Rivera announced Brissett will get the start over Sam Howell during his Wednesday press conference.
"It's a good opportunity for Sam to take a break," Rivera said. "This is about Sam's continued development, and things hadn't gone as well as we would have liked for him the last few weeks, so we just think this is a good opportunity for him to watch."
Howell had started the first 15 games of the season, but played poorly in each of the last two contests and was benched and replaced by Brissett in each.
Howell completed 17-of-48 passes for 158 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in those games, while Brissett completed 18-of-23 passes for 224 yards with three TDs and no picks.
The 31-year-old Brissett is on his fifth NFL team and will be making his 49th career start. He will also become the 13th different starting QB for Washington since the start of the 2018 season.
"Jacoby's proven that he’s a very, very viable player in this league," Rivera said. "It's amazing to watch the professionalism with which Jacoby does things."
The decision to turn to Brissett could mean the Commanders aren't sold on Howell being the quarterback of the future.
Washington drafted Howell in the fifth round in 2022, and while he's 11th in the NFL in passing yards with 3,624, he also leads the league with 17 interceptions and has been sacked an NFL-high 60 times. His QB rating of 80.5 ranks 25th.
Washington has lost six straight games to drop to 4-11, and now hosts a San Francisco team that sit atop the NFC.
Nassalam capped an afternoon to remember for trainer Gary Moore when showing stamina in abundance to run out an ultra-impressive winner of the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.
The Lower Beeding handler had already enjoyed Grade Two success at the South Wales track and also seen his Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite bounce back to his best to defend his Desert Orchid title at Kempton before Nassalam headed out as the 9-2 joint-favourite for the afternoon’s feature.
Some 4lb well-in under a penalty for winning the Welsh National Trial at the course earlier this month, the six-year-old was tracking the pace set by the front-running Amateur in the early stages of what was a typically testing renewal of the marathon event.
Passing their point of departure for a second lap of Chepstow, it was only the John Flint-trained Amateur and Paul Nicholls’ Complete Unknown, scraping the paint on the inside, that were recognisable from their silks as the gruelling conditions began to take a toll.
Owned by John and Yvonne Stone, Nassalam joined Amateur midway down the back and led those left standing into the home straight for the final five fences, with Sam Thomas’ 2021 hero Iwilldoit and Complete Unknown in hot pursuit.
A blunder from Complete Unknown soon knocked the Ditcheat challenger out of contention and although Iwilldoit gamely gave chase, Nassalam was not for catching as he extended clear up the Chepstow straight.
He was 15 lengths to the good jumping two out and extended that advantage to 34 lengths as big-race jockey Caoilin Quinn added another facile triumph to Salver’s victory in the Grade two Finale Juvenile Hurdle only 40 minutes earlier.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Iron Bridge eventually claimed the silver medal, with Iwilldoit in third, but the afternoon belonged to the mud-loving Nassalam who was introduced at 25-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Randox Grand National at Aintree.
“Last year he never had his ground and I probably ran him over the wrong trip, probably on the short side. But I think blinkers and soft ground have brought out the improvement in him,” said Moore.
“I was watching it in the parade ring at Kempton and I was just pleased when he got over the last. Watching I thought he was handy enough and he had to go six furlongs further than he did last time, but obviously Caoilin knows more than me.
“He’s a very good rider and his 3lb is very useful. He’s a good lad. The owner has been very loyal to him and let him ride the horse and he’s repaid them for it.
“He’s still only a young horse and I would like to think there will be a bit more improvement to come.
“I need to speak to the owner and he’s not going to be easy to place now, so we will need to have a chat to decide where we go next. But in the back of my mind I would like to train him for a National. If it is like when Red Marauder won it then that would be perfect.”
Of his memorable 73-1 treble, which came in the space of an hour, he went on: “They are few and far between so you have to make the most of it.
“We’ll go home now and I’ll probably go back to the yard, make sure everything is all right and give them a hand. Then I’ll go to the gym tonight, just go for a swim, and then get a bit of dinner.”
Winning rider Quinn added to Sky Sports Racing: “I winged the first and got in the ideal position just behind the leaders and I couldn’t believe how well he travelled.
“We jumped the middle one down the back and we jumped into the lead and I was kind of thinking I don’t want to be there so soon, but he was going so well – I wish I’d had a look now, I won by quite a bit. What a great performance.
“I think the ground is a big factor and I said to Gina (groom) when it was squishing on the ground, he loves this. He just seems to travel so much better on it, he properly loves the mud.
“I’m delighted, over the moon, from winning the Grade Two the last race to this, I can’t believe it and I’m very emotional. It is all thanks to my boss and Mr and Mrs Stone for trusting me. I’ve ridden plenty of big winners for them and for them to keep me on, I’m very grateful.”
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