An online fundraising auction in aid of Graham Lee has been set up, featuring plenty of interesting racing lots.
All monies raised will be managed by the Injured Jockeys Fund but go directly to the 47-year-old rider.
Bids can be placed on a number of experiences, including spending a morning on the gallops of trainers such as Paul Nicholls, Karl Burke, Harry Derham, Donald McCain and Fergal O’Brien.
Tours of several studs are also available, along with hospitality packages at racecourses like York, Newbury, Sedgefield and Stratford.
Perhaps the most popular of the lots, though, will be the chance to play a four-ball round of golf with Sir AP McCoy.
Grand National and Group One-winning jockey Lee suffered a serious injury at Newcastle earlier this month.
A JustGiving page established by Lee’s daughter has raised more than £162,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund, while a nomination to new stallion Paddington, provided by Coolmore, will be auctioned off by Tattersalls on December 4.
The latest auction set up in aid of Lee can be viewed via https://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/GrahamLee
Ryan Johansen scored two goals to back 37 saves from Alexandar Georgiev as the Colorado Avalanche extended their winning streak to four games with Monday's 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Cale Makar added a goal and an assist for the Central Division-leading Avalanche, who also received an empty-net goal from Valeri Nichushkin and two assists from Nathan MacKinnon to stop the Lightning's five-game point streak. Tampa Bay came in 4-0-1 over its last five outings.
Georgiev had 13 saves in the first period and Johansen scored unassisted 7:12 in to put Colorado in front. Johansen struck again 1:48 into the second before Makar made it a 3-0 lead with a power-play goal less than two minutes later.
Anthony Cirelli scored the Lightning's lone goal in the final minute of the second period, but Georgiev stopped all 12 Tampa Bay attempts in the third before Nichuskin scored into an empty net with 3:14 left.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 of 22 shots in the Lightning goaltender's second game back from offseason back surgery.
Blue Jackets send skidding Bruins to third straight loss
Spencer Martin made 31 saves and Yegor Chinakhov had a goal and an assist as the surging Columbus Blue Jackets dealt the suddenly slumping Boston Bruins a 5-2 loss.
Dmitri Voronkov, Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko and Justin Danforth also had goals as Columbus won for the third time in four games following a 4-11-4 start to the season.
The Bruins, meanwhile, have suffered three straight regulation losses following a sizzling 14-1-3 start.
Voronkov scored the lone goal in the first period before the Blue Jackets extended the lead to 3-0 on goals by Provorov and Chinakhov in the second. Marchenko pushed the margin further with a power-play goal 4:51 into the third.
Matthew Poitras and John Beecher had third-period goals for Boston, which pulled starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman after Provorov scored 5:38 into the second.
Swayman stopped 17 of 19 shots before departing, while Linus Ullmark turned back 18 of 20 chances in relief.
Tuch scores twice as Sabres pull away from Rangers
Alex Tuch had a pair of goals and the Buffalo Sabres scored three times late in the third period to pull away for a 5-1 win over the New York Rangers.
Tuch, Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo all scored in the final 4:29 of the game after New York cut its deficit to 2-1 on Mika Zibanejad's goal with just over eight minutes elapsed in the third period.
Mittelstadt, Victor Olofsson and Owen Power each had two assists to help Buffalo move to 3-1-1 over its last five games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finished with 25 saves for the Sabres.
Buffalo had taken a 2-0 lead on JJ Peterka's goal in the first period and Tuch's first of the night, which came with 27 seconds left in the second.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 34 of 38 shots for the Rangers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and sustained just their fourth regulation loss of the season.
Joel Embiid racked up 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 138-94 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, giving LeBron James the most lopsided loss of his 21-year NBA career.
Tyrese Maxey complemented Embiid's sixth career triple-double with 31 points and eight assists, and the 76ers dominated from the 3-point line to also record their largest margin of victory in 290 all-time regular-season meetings with the Lakers.
James' previous worst loss came by 42 points, a 136-94 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 5, 2019, in his first season with the Lakers. The NBA's all-time leading scorer finished with 18 points and five assists but failed to register a rebound.
Philadelphia finished 22 of 46 from 3-point range compared to 7 of 28 for Los Angeles, which trailed by double digits since late in the first quarter and were outscored by a whopping 40-14 margin in the fourth despite the 76ers resting Embiid and fellow starters Tobias Harris and De'Anthony Melton the entire period.
Anthony Davis ended with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped two of three since a 6-1 stretch from Nov. 10-21.
Nuggets handle Clippers despite Jokic resting
DeAndre Jordan filled in well for a resting Nikola Jokić as the Denver Nuggets rallied for a 113-104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jordan posted 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists starting in place of Jokic, who was held out with Denver playing for the second consecutive night. Reggie Jackson had 13 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nuggets back from an 11-point deficit to start the period.
Jackson, who spent parts of four seasons with the Clippers before being traded away in February, added 13 assists. Jordan played his first 10 NBA seasons with Los Angeles from 2008-18.
The Nuggets trailed 88-77 after three quarters before outscoring the Clippers by a 36-16 margin in the fourth. They went ahead for good when Jackson capped a 15-2 run to start the period with a short floater that gave Denver a 92-90 lead with under 7 1/2 minutes left.
Los Angeles, which had won four of five following a 3-7 start, went just 4 of 17 from the field in the fourth quarter and got just six points on 2-of-13 shooting from star Paul George.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 31 points and eight rebounds, while Ivica Zubac recorded 23 points and 14 boards.
Wizards halt nine-game losing streak, extend Pistons' skid to 14
Kyle Kuzma compiled 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Washington Wizards to a 126-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons in a matchup of the NBA's two worst teams.
Washington, which entered the game with an identical 2-14 record to Detroit, halted a nine-game losing streak. The Pistons have now lost 14 consecutive games, tied for the longest skid in franchise history within a single season.
The Wizards led by just one early in the third quarter before Kuzma took over, as the veteran forward scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the period to help extend Washington's advantage to 94-83 entering the fourth.
Washington maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way while shooting 50.6 per cent from the field for the game. Deni Avdija and Danilo Gallinari each contributed 16 points to the victory.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points and seven assists, while Jalen Duren finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
Cairo Santos landed his fourth field goal of the night in the closing moments as the Chicago Bears edged past the Minnesota Vikings for a final score of 12-10.
Santos landed the decisive kick from 30 yards with 10 seconds remaining to decide the defence-dominated NFC North clash.
Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs was intercepted four times as they lost to the Bears for the first time in seven meetings.
Despite his problems, Dobbs found TJ Hockenson to put the Vikings ahead for the first time with less than six minutes remaining.
Fields fumbled for the second time in the quarter on the following drive, but moved the Bears into position for Santos’s winning kick.
The defeat dents the Vikings’ hopes of claiming the divisional title, dropping them to 6-6, behind the 8-3 Detroit Lions.
The Minnesota Wild fired head coach Dean Evason and top assistant Bob Woods on Monday.
The shake-up comes a day after the Wild’s 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings extended their losing streak to seven games. Minnesota is 2-8-3 in their last 13 games.
General manager Bill Guerin released a statement announcing the moves.
“Dean did an excellent job during his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, especially as head coach of our team,” Guerin said. “I am very thankful for his hard work and dedication to our organization … I wish Dean, Bob and their families all the best in the future.”
Guerin’s statement did not mention who would take over coaching duties, but The Athletic reported that former New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators bench boss John Hynes would be the Wild’s next coach.
Evason, 59, landed his first NHL head coaching job when he took over behind the Wild’s bench mid-season in 2020, replacing Bruce Boudreau.
Evason led the Wild to a franchise-record 113 points during the 2021-22 season and followed up with another 100-point campaign last season.
The Wild had three straight first-round play-off exits under Evason, however, and this year’s frigid start was enough to prompt a change.
Evason had a 147-77-27 record behind Minnesota’s bench.
Carolina Panthers have sacked head coach Frank Reich after starting the new season with just one win in 11 games.
Reich was appointed in January but made little impact and Saturday’s 17-10 defeat to Tennessee Titans extended the worst current record in the NFL.
The Panthers confirmed that special teams co-ordinator Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach, with senior assistant Jim Caldwell becoming special adviser to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who assumes play-calling duties.
Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement: “I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”
Former England Women’s rugby union captain Sarah Hunter has said she is enjoying no longer “feeling beaten up and battered” in her retirement, as she was made a CBE for services to the sport.
The 38-year-old – England’s most capped player – said it is an “uncomfortable” feeling to be singled out for praise because rugby is the “ultimate team sport”.
Hunter, who won 138 caps and captained her side at the 2021 Rugby World Cup, was handed her CBE medal by the Prince of Wales at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Monday.
Hunter – who made her England debut in 2007 and was named World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2016 – announced her retirement from international rugby earlier this year.
She has started a new chapter of her career as a coach with the England team, something she discussed with William.
She told the PA news agency: “He asked me what I’m doing now since I stopped playing.
“England Rugby have got me back in coaching to try and help the next generation of players come through.”
Hunter and William also discussed the Princess of Wales’s role as a patron of England Rugby, and the time two England players “threw her up in the line-out” during a visit, she said.
Asked about the secret to her long career, she said: “It’s probably just hanging on in there.
“As you get older it’s definitely around looking after your body. I was just driven to always be better every time I came off the field.
“I’ve been part of so many wonderful teams, it’s pretty hard to leave and say goodbye, but I guess everything has to end at some point.”
She continued: “It’s such an honour. I started playing rugby for the love of it and never did I ever imagine that I’d be honoured in this way.
“It’s kind of strange for me because rugby is the ultimate team sport, so being recognised for an individual award is fairly uncomfortable.
“But it certainly ranks right up there in my achievements, I’m immensely proud.”
Asked if she was going to miss playing rugby, Hunter said: “Do you know what, I’m not. I actually enjoy not feeling beaten up and battered.
“I think that’s a really good sign that it was time to leave. I miss the camaraderie but I don’t miss being out there on the pitch.
“England Rugby have got me back in coaching to try and help the next generation of players come through.
“I’m starting on a new journey.”
Judd Trump revealed how his unquenchable desire for success helped lift him off his sick bed and into the second round of the UK Championship in York with a convincing 6-1 win over Pang Junxu.
The 34-year-old is the latest top star to arrive at the tournament suffering the apparent effects of flu, after Ding Junhui considered withdrawal before edging defending champion Mark Allen on the opening day.
But Trump, who became only the fifth player in history to win three back-to-back ranking tournaments last month, indicated that pulling out was not an option as he targets a title that has eluded him since a solitary success in 2011.
“I didn’t feel great, but I’m always going to turn up and give it my best,” said Trump, who fears he caught the bug after attending rival Ronnie O’Sullivan’s documentary premiere in London last week.
“It’s a big tournament and you obviously want to do well in it. Maybe I had slightly lower expectations, and maybe that helped a bit. It was a decent first-round performance and hopefully I can go away and get a bit better.”
Two centuries suggested Trump was showing few ill effects against the world number 34, who had given O’Sullivan something to think about in the opening round of the World Championship earlier this year.
And Trump’s determination comes in stark contrast to reigning Crucible champion Luca Brecel, who conceded he was having to find novel ways to maintain his motivation through the current campaign.
“I just love winning,” added Trump. “I absolutely hate the feeling of losing so that’s what spurs me on. I don’t want to look back at the end of my career having missed events or not practised much.
“We get enough time off in the off-season, so when it comes to the season itself I might as well work and give it my absolute all, and win as many tournaments as possible.
“I went through a two- or three-year period of winning pretty much everything, then I went through a spell when I was still half-decent but not as good.
“The feeling of going home every time without the trophy was absolutely horrendous. For me, winning surpasses everything and there’s no better feeling than going home knowing you haven’t lost.”
Former semi-finalist Barry Hawkins also booked his place in the last 16 after recovering from a 3-1 deficit to edge qualifier Ben Woollaston.
Downtown Kingston will once again be the epicenter of electrifying boxing action as Wray & Nephew Fight Nights makes a triumphant return on Saturday, December 16, 2023. The boxing exhibition, extending into 2024, will conclude the calendar year with a thrilling seaside showdown in Jamaica's bustling capital.
Undefeated since the commencement of the boxing competition, professional boxer Jermaine "Breezy" Richards steps back into the ring for his third match of the season at the Breezy Castle fights. The event will also showcase a fresh set of female challengers vying for supremacy in the boxing arena.
The upcoming spectacle will witness the return of Ian Darby, captivating the audience for the second time following his exhilarating bout against Fabian 'Truck' Tucker on October 7, 2023.
Jamaica Boxing Board President, Stephen Jones, expressed confidence that the series has firmly established its presence among Jamaicans and is poised to deliver high-quality boxing competition for local athletes.
"The popularity of the Fight Night series has surpassed our expectations, putting us in a fantastic position. With more eyes on the sport and Jamaica as a boxing destination, the next fight card will feature at least six amateur bouts and two professional matchups. Notably, fan favorites Jermaine 'Breezy' Richards and Ian 'The Impact' Darby will face formidable Colombian opponents, promising our most exciting night to date," stated President Jones.
Pavel Smith, Marketing Manager of Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, expressed enthusiasm about the advancement of local boxing careers and the overwhelming support from fans.
"In just three stagings, we've witnessed the resurgence of love and support for local boxing. Fans are enthusiastic, and boxers are eager to showcase their talent and elevate their careers. We are delighted to see increased attendance at the events and invite all boxing enthusiasts to Breezy Castle on December 16 for the grand finale of the Wray & Nephew boxing series," remarked Smith.
Sponsored by Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, Television Jamaica, Pepsi Jamaica, Ultra Medical Services, Locker Room Sports, S & G Road Surfacing Materials Limited, and Creative Sports, the Wray & Nephew Fight Nights series, which commenced in July, is set to captivate boxing fans well into 2024.
World champion Michael Smith is not ready to hand his crown over to anyone else as he prepares for the defence of his title.
The 33-year-old lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after a stunning performance against Michael van Gerwen in the final, hitting a nine-dart finish in the greatest leg in the history of the sport.
He has struggled to live up to the billing of world champion during 2023 but is determined to keep hold of the silverware in the Alexandra Palace tournament which begins next month.
“It is going to be a sad moment because I am going to be introduced as the reigning champion, but if I get beat next time I am going to be the former,” Smith, who will play Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz in the second round, told the PA news agency.
“I don’t want to be the former. Eventually it will happen, but I’m not ready for it to end yet. I want to be announced next year as the reigning back-to-back champion, that is what I am striving for.
“I know I can do it, I have to work on my game to find it. I have done it countless times before, it is one more big push now to end the year on a big high.
“It feels like it has gone too quick. I have enjoyed it, I have virtually taken the year off darts, especially the floor events, just to enjoy what I did. Twelve months has gone by too quickly, it’s a bit saddening, but also happy to be at Ally Pally and defend my title.”
View this post on Instagram
Three-time champion Van Gerwen, who plays Keane Barry or Reynaldo Rivera, has not won the title since 2019 and usually arrives at the Palace as favourite.
But he says Luke Humphries is the man to beat after winning the last three majors, including the Players Championship at the weekend.
“I don’t know if I am the favourite, Luke Humphries is playing some really good darts, he has had some fantastic results,” the Dutchman told PA.
“I am one of the favourites, everyone still wants to beat me, but there will be pressure on everybody.
View this post on Instagram
“The worlds is a different kind of pressure. We are talking about the big tournament now. It is the biggest one so it adds extra pressure, you can’t compare the worlds to any other. It would mean the world to me.”
Two-time champion Peter Wright will play the winner of Jim Williams and Norman Madhoo, while Humphries faces Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing.
Fallon Sherrock, who made history in 2020 when she became the first woman to win a World Championship match, is back at the Palace for a fourth time and will face Jermaine Wattimena in the first round, with Martin Schindler waiting in the second round.
Gordon Elliot has stressed “everything is open” for Gerri Colombe as bookmakers took evasive action anticipating a Boxing Day appearance in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.
Following his winning return at Down Royal, Elliott had mentioned Leopardstown’s festive feature, the Savills Chase, or the Cotswold Chase on Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day card would be the destination for the next step on the seven-year-old’s path to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
But with both defending champion Bravemansgame and Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin fluffing their lines at Haydock and Ascot respectively over the weekend, the Cullentra House handler sent the King George market spinning when briefly suggesting a trip to Kempton was possible in an interview following the victory of Imagine at Punchestown on Sunday.
Gerri Colombe has since attracted significant support in the King George market, usurping Bravemansgame as the favourite with some layers.
However, speaking to the PA news agency on Monday, Elliott confirmed no decision has been made yet, with conditions nearer the time set to determine Gerri Colombe’s next move.
“Everything is still kind of up in the air and everything is open,” said Elliott.
“We’ve got the King George, Leopardstown and the race at Cheltenham. There’s no decision made, we will just wait to see what the ground is and make a decision nearer the time.
“We won’t know for two weeks what we are doing.”
When asked if the drama-filled events over the weekend make saddling a first King George runner since Don Cossack in 2015 more tempting, Elliott added: “To be honest, I just worry about my own horse, I don’t worry about anyone else.”
Don Cossack was a late faller when sent off 15-8 favourite for Kempton’s Christmas showpiece that year, before going on to taste Gold Cup glory the following March.
And the Robcour-owned Gerri Colombe is also currently disputing favouritism with Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs at the head of the Gold Cup betting.
Stuart Crawford hopes there is more improvement to come from smart Haydock winner Park Annonciade.
The five-year-old began his hurdling career in the summer with two encouraging efforts at Sligo and Perth, missing out by just three quarters of a length on debut and then winning well next time out.
He returned in autumn after a short break and quickly regained the winning thread with an Ayr success that led him to Haydock on Saturday, where he carried bottom weight, which was assisted further by 5lb claimer Ben Bromley.
The same trainer and owners, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, were also represented in the race by Carnfunnock, but it was his less experienced stablemate who swept to a two-and-three-quarter-length victory as the 3-1 joint-favourite.
“We probably fancied the other horse more but he was just a bit rusty with his jumping on his first run of the season,” Crawford said.
“Park Annonciade had the advantage of a few runs, he’s been on the go over the summer and the drying ground was a big plus for him and he took advantage of being at the bottom of the weights.
“It was good that we could win with one runner anyway!”
The race was a step up to two miles and three furlongs for Park Annonciade and while Crawford predicts he will stay further in time, he is happy to move up only incrementally in the immediate future.
“Eventually, I imagine he’d be a horse that will run over a trip at some point in time but two, two and half miles at this stage will be far enough for him,” he said.
“I don’t know what the handicapper is going to do with him after that but he’s still going to struggle to get into the better races with the mark he’ll be on.
“We’ll let him progress, he’s a horse that has improved with racing and he’s taken a wee bit of time to come to himself, so hopefully there’s another day in him at some point.”
Of plans for Carnfunnock, the trainer added: “I imagine we’ll go for a similar type of race again, he was the one we were really going there for but it didn’t work out on the day for him.
“He’s come out of the run well and we’ll look for something a bit closer to Christmas.”
Travis Kelce made NFL history as the Kansas City Chiefs recorded an entertaining victory in Week 12.
The Chiefs fought back from 14-0 behind to win 31-17 at the Las Vegas Raiders, improving their 2023 record to 8-3.
Kelce hauled in six catches for 91 yards to help launch the comeback, with Rashee Rice adding eight receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Sunday's game saw Kelce become the fastest tight end to reach 11,000 receiving yards in NFL history, achieving the feat in 154 games.
The 34-year-old only needed 15 yards to reach the landmark and comfortably passed that in Las Vegas, taking his career total up to 11,076.
Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez held the previous fastest mark after hitting 11,000 after 191 games.
Kelce is only the fourth tight end ever to reach the total. He still has a while to go to catch Gonzalez (15,127) in yardage, but is moving ever closer to Jason Witten (13.036) and Antonio Gates (11,841) in the TE standings.
"We went down 14 points, and it's a tough thing to come back from that," said Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
"Our guys battled back, and I'm proud of them for that."
A prime-time matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field is up next for the Chiefs, who are top of the AFC West as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Denver Broncos (6-5) are their closest challengers in the division.
Frank Reich didn't even make it to December in his first season as coach of the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers announced on Monday that Reich has been fired.
"I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers," team owner David Tepper said in a statement. "I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well."
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor takes over as interim coach, while offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will be in charge of play-calling.
The decision came one day after a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans dropped the NFL-worst Panthers to 1-10.
The 61-year-old Reich, who coached the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-2022, was hired in January to help improve the offense, but the team is struggling to score points and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young isn't playing well.
Carolina is 30th in total offence with an average of 265.9 yards per game and has scored 10 points in each of its last two contests and 15 or fewer in each of its last five.
Young has not topped 200 yards passing in each of the last four games, and has thrown for 1,877 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions for a 74.9 QB rating in his first 10 games.
The Panthers passed on C.J. Stroud and selected Young first in April's draft after trading wide receiver D.J. Moore and four draft picks - including their first-round pick in next year's draft - to the Chicago Bears for the top pick.
This is the second year in a row the Panthers fired their coach mid-season after Tepper fired Matt Rhule last October after a 1-4 start.
Carolina will finish with a losing record for a sixth straight season since Tepper bought the franchise in 2018 for $2.275million.
A late call will be made on Buddy One’s participation in Sunday’s Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, with Leopardstown’s Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle also an option for Paul Gilligan’s thriving hurdler.
Third to Iroko at the Cheltenham Festival in March before also going close at Aintree the following month, the six-year-old has continued to catch the eye in his recent outings, following up a taking victory at Galway by successfully stepping up to three miles at Cheltenham recently.
Having scored at Prestbury Park off a mark of 147, Gilligan believes Buddy One has done enough to warrant a shot in the big leagues and is preparing his progressive performer for Grade One action at either Fairyhouse this weekend or Leopardstown over the festive period.
“He’s 100 per cent and came out of his race at Cheltenham very, very well,” said Gilligan.
“Fairyhouse is still in the mix, we’re not 100 per cent sure yet. We’ll make a final decision Friday morning and it’s not finalised, but we’re hoping to go.
“It looks a race that may cut up between just Willie (Mullins) and Gordon (Elliott) and John (McConnell) might go as well. I would like to run him in it, but we will see closer to the weekend.
“The only reason he may not go there is it is only two weeks since Cheltenham and if he doesn’t go there, he will go for the Christmas Hurdle (at Leopardstown).”
Buddy One will have to take on some of the best hurdlers in Ireland wherever he makes his next start and his handler is well aware another career best may be required from his in-form gelding to make his mark in esteemed company.
“No matter where he goes now, he will be at the level where he will be taking on all these good horses,” continued Gilligan. “We’re at the level now where we can’t be skipping or avoiding.
“It’s great to have a horse like him and he was really good at Cheltenham I think, but he has got to step up if he is taking on horses like Willie’s Impaire Et Passe and Gordon’s Irish Point.
“We’re aware of that and it is not just a walk in the park now, he has to step up and hopefully he will do.”
Jockey Ray Dawson has been banned for six months after failing a drugs test at Bath on August 19.
The 30-year-old has a history of addiction problems and tested positive for cocaine after a drink and drug binge the previous night.
He has not ridden since August 24 and his suspension will be backdated until September 1.
Dawson appeared before a British Horseracing Authority Disciplinary panel on Monday, when he admitted he had relapsed one night, having spent the majority of the previous five years sober.
He enjoyed his best year in 2022 with 64 winners, which included Group Two victories in the Lowther on Zain Claudette and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Mawj.
Paul Nolan says there will be no more ground excuses for Joyeux Machin as he contemplates a step up to Grade One company at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.
A two-time winner over hurdles last term, he has already banked plenty of chasing experience, racing four times over the larger obstacles and going close in a competitive Listed heat at Wexford earlier this month, where he found just Gordon Elliott’s Minella Crooner too good.
The six-year-old holds an entry for the Neville Hotels Novice Chase on December 29 and his handler believes he can no longer use deep ground as an excuse, having gone so close in testing conditions on his most recent outing.
“We looked a bit stupid the last day because we ran him on heavy ground,” said Nolan.
“After his two ‘PUs’ on heavy ground before and on the gallops after working him on heavy ground, it was basically a finding out mission (at Wexford) and we can’t blame ground anymore after his performance the other day, when I thought he was very unlucky and just missed the last.
“He was getting weight off the winner and on ratings he wasn’t too far wrong with the winner. There’s no point getting too carried away, but I definitely won’t be blaming ground anymore.”
Joyeux Machin’s long-term future appears to be over the larger obstacles, with Nolan having the trip to Dublin at Christmas at the forefront of his mind.
However, the handler would be open to reverting to hurdles if the opportunity presented itself, with a confidence boosting victory over timber seen as the perfect way to tee-up Joyeux Machin for his big-race festive assignment.
“I wouldn’t mind mixing things up with him,” continued Nolan. “We had him on the go during the summer for a couple of races and we won’t run him too often. His aim will be at Christmas where he is entered in the Grade One and we’ll see where we go.
“If there was a hurdle race in between that we thought may suit him, then I would love to win with him – and on that basis, if we have a look at the programme and there was a conditions hurdle that came up and he was in at a lovely weight, then I would have no problem going back over hurdles with him.
“We’ll have a chat with the owners and see what we do, but the Grade One will come under serious consideration, with the strong chance that Leopardstown won’t be that deep.”
Max Verstappen completed the most dominant season in Formula One history with victory in Abu Dhabi.
After a 19th win in 22 races, the PA news agency looks at how the triple world champion compares to the sport’s all-time stars.
Among the greats
Verstappen’s third world championship win put him in elite company as only the 11th driver with a hat-trick of titles to his name.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the record of seven crowns apiece, with Juan Manuel Fangio their nearest challenger on five.
Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel won four apiece, with Verstappen alongside Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet Sr and Ayrton Senna on three.
Only five drivers – Schumacher, Hamilton, Fangio, Vettel and now Verstappen – have won three in consecutive years. He has the chance next season to match all but Schumacher with a fourth straight title, the German having won five in succession from 2000 to 2004.
Verstappen has also moved third all-time in terms of race wins. His 53rd, at the season’s penultimate race in Las Vegas, drew him alongside Vettel for that position and in only 184 races compared to the German’s 299.
Abu Dhabi made it 54 out of 185 and means only Hamilton and Schumacher have won more races – Hamilton has 103 from 331 starts, despite now having gone two seasons without a win, while Schumacher finished with 91 in 306.
Record breaker
Verstappen set a notable record during the season with 10 consecutive race wins up to and including September’s Italian Grand Prix.
That beat Vettel’s run of nine in a row in 2013, also with Red Bull, while Verstappen’s Abu Dhabi win in 2022’s final race and Sergio Perez’s early-season contributions ensured the team won a record 15 in succession.
The Dutchman’s 19 wins broke his own single-season record of 15, set last year. Only 14 F1 seasons have even had 19 or more races in total.
While the length of the season and the modern scoring system are both significant factors, his points tally of 575 is a huge record – again, his own 454 last season was the previous best. Unsurprisingly that brought with it a record winning margin, both outright (290 points) and by percentage with more than double the points of second-placed team-mate Perez (285).
Verstappen also clinched the title with six grands prix remaining, equalling Schumacher’s record from 2002.
His 86.4 per cent win rate was another record, shattering the 75 per cent mark set back in 1952 – F1’s third ever season – when Alberto Ascari won six of the eight races contested.
He is the first driver to lead 1,000 or more laps in a season – smashing Vettel’s record of 739 in 2011 and equalling the combined total of McLaren’s dominant 1988 pairing of Senna and Prost.
Verstappen was the only driver to complete every lap of this season, adding two second places and fifth in Singapore to his 19 wins.
Harry Fry is keen to bolster Gidleigh Park’s experience following his impressive hurdling debut at Exeter.
The five-year-old was an emphatic winner of a Chepstow bumper on his rules introduction back in March, pulling six-lengths clear of Ben Pauling’s The Jukebox Man, who has since franked the form in good style on two separate occasions.
Making his first start over hurdles, Gidleigh Park confirmed the promise of that Chepstow romp with an equally taking display, jumping well and only needing to be pushed out by jockey Johnny Burke for a commanding seven-and-a-half-length triumph.
Although immediately cut by the bookmakers for Graded novice events at the Cheltenham Festival, his handler is in no rush to move into deeper waters and for now plans to seek out another novice event under a penalty.
“We were very happy and he seemed to confirm the promise of his racecourse debut last spring,” said Fry.
“It’s onwards and upwards as they say and we will look forward to getting him out in a month or so under a penalty and if that goes according to plan then we can start thinking about raising his sights.
“I think it’s about experience at the moment more than anything and I think we need to get another run in, in an ordinary novice, before we start thinking about going up in grade.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
