LeBron James said it had been a "rough" New Year's weekend after playing through illness as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their second defeat in as many days on Sunday.
James played through flu-like symptoms as the Lakers suffered a contentious 108-106 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, being denied a potential game-tying three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining.
On New Year's Eve, the New Orleans Pelicans dropped Los Angeles to 17-17 with a comprehensive 129-109 success at Smoothie King Center, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram posting 26 points apiece.
James scored a game-high 34 and former Pelican Anthony Davis had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers suffered a seventh loss in nine games, leaving the league's all-time leading scorer to reflect on a difficult few days.
"We have to figure it out and get better, for sure," James said. "We're not a team that likes to play from behind. We've been in that position a lot this year.
"The flight last night did not help, obviously. We didn't get to the hotel last night until 3:45 a.m., so, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game.
"But I'm happy I was able to go out and just try to make some plays happen for my team."
A raucous New Orleans crowd was on its feet when Jose Alvarado made steals from both James and Davis during the second quarter, with his team up by 19 points at that stage.
The 25-year-old was delighted to give himself a highlight-reel moment against one of the all-time greats, saying: "LeBron, he's one of the greatest players to ever play this game and for me to be on the court, for me to get steals, for me to do anything… that's pretty amazing.
"When I get back to watch videos when I grow old, and they say that he is the best player to play this game, at least I got a video of him, with me getting a steal."
Patrick Neville is eyeing a return to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase with The Real Whacker following his creditable performance in the King George on Boxing Day.
The seven-year-old won each of his first three starts over fences last season, all at Cheltenham, including a narrow Festival success over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Having begun the new season as a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, The Real Whacker was pulled up on his reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Prestbury Park in November, but was subsequently found to have suffered a minor injury.
Neville nevertheless decided to give his stable star a chance to prove himself at the highest level in the King George VI Chase – and while he never threatened to land a telling blow in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies, he was doing his best work at the end and was not disgraced in finishing fourth.
In the immediate aftermath, the North Yorkshire-based trainer suggested The Real Whacker could head straight to the Gold Cup, but is now eyeing a final prep run back on his favourite track.
“He’s in great form and came out of it well. We didn’t have much luck in the race – things didn’t work out for us and we didn’t get a great break, but he jumped around and stayed on at the end,” said Neville.
“They went quick, but we didn’t get the break we wanted. It was just one of those things, but I liked the way he finished the race and he was only beaten 10 lengths in the end.”
Neville believes there is more improvement to come from The Real Whacker, adding: “It was his first run in Grade One open company and he’ll probably come on for it.
“I’m going to run him in the Cotswold Chase at the end of January. I just looked at the race and thought we’d give him one more run before the Gold Cup, as the experience will help him.”
The trainer did enjoy a notable victory on the King George undercard, with Mahons Glory dominating his rivals in the concluding handicap hurdle.
An ambitious tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle was subsequently mooted, although plans for his next race are likely to be dictated by the handicapper’s assessment of his performance.
Neville said: “We were thrilled with him, it was great for the owners and great for the yard to get a winner on a big day like that.
“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does, but we have different options and we’ll study it and see where we go with him.
“He seems to be a lot better going right-handed, so we could go back to Kempton or Ascot. We’ll see what’s coming up there.”
Andy Murray’s preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback following a frustrating first-round loss to second seed Grigor Dimitrov at the Brisbane International.
The unseeded Scot was on course to advance after taking the opening set of a tense battle between two former tournament champions on Pat Rafter Arena.
But Dimitrov hit back to progress 4-6 7-5 6-2 and inflict another early exit on Murray following his second-round victory when the pair met at last year’s US Open.
The world number 14 will face either Australian qualifier Li Tu or Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in round two.
Murray was playing his first competitive singles match since a first-round loss to Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters in late October after a shoulder injury ruled him out of representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup finals.
The 36-year-old initially impressed during a tight encounter which remained on serve until he capitalised on an error-strewn 10th game from his opponent to clinch the opening set.
But Dimitrov calmly responded to force a decider by edging a more chaotic second set which ended with both players struggling to hold serve.
The Bulgarian’s efforts to level were aided by saving a crucial break point with a stunning baseline smash while playing with a broken string.
Three-time grand slam champion Murray was visibly annoyed by the momentum shift and offered little resistance in a relatively one-sided final set as Dimitrov won in just under two-and-a-half hours.
Victor Wembanyama and Gregg Popovich accepted the San Antonio Spurs had been unable to live with an NBA championship contender after Sunday's 134-101 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
The league-leading Celtics improved to 26-6 with a dominant performance to round off 2023 at Frost Bank Center, extending their winning streak to six games.
Boston never trailed at any point as Jayson Tatum led six visiting players in double figures with his 25-point haul, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Rookie Wembanyama had 21 points and seven rebounds for the hosts, but it was not enough to stop them sliding to 5-27 with a seventh defeat in the space of eight games.
While Wembanyama said the Celtics were simply too good on the night, he believes the Spurs will have learned something from the defeat.
"I can feel that compared to the past years, they have something extra this year," Wembanyama said of Joe Mazzulla's Celtics team.
"Of course, it’s difficult to play against them and it is a good challenge. But I think we learned today."
San Antonio coach Popovich concurred, saying: "They are a championship-calibre team, that's what they are out there for, that's their goal, and they proved it once again.
"Joe does a great job with them. They've got good talent, obviously, all-star talent; and they've got the grit.
"They've got the execution and are getting better all the time. That's a tough challenge at this particular time for our group."
Boston closed out the month of December with a 12-2 record and were able to rest their starters for much of the fourth quarter, having led by as many as 37 points at one stage.
"We got stops," Mazzulla said. "I thought we were really good at doing both, protecting the paint and getting out to contest, which allowed us to get out in transition.
"I think our secondary transition, we did a good job of recognising where the mismatch was and getting to it fast and playing together as a team through it."
Warren Foegele's career-high five-point night propelled the red-hot Edmonton Oilers to their fifth straight win, a 7-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Foegele scored twice and assisted on goals from Ryan McLeod, Leon Draisaitl and Brett Kulak to help Edmonton close out a highly successful six-game road trip. After opening the trek with a loss to the New York Islanders, the Oilers outscored the opposition by a 24-10 margin during their current winning run.
Draisaitl added two assists and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves for Edmonton, which also got goals from Evander Kane and Zach Hyman.
Kane's wraparound goal with 2:38 left in the first period staked the Oilers to a 2-1 lead, and Edmonton scored three unanswered in the second to pull away. Drasaitl had the first of those goals 1:48 into the period before Foegele struck twice within a span of about 7 1/2 minutes.
Anaheim got one back in the third on Frank Vatrano's team-leading 17th goal of the season, but Hyman answered four minutes later before Kulak capped Edmonton's seven-goal night with 4:11 remaining.
McLeod opened the scoring 4:15 in before the Ducks tied it later in the first period when Max Jones slipped a rebound past Pickard.
John Gibson finished with 32 saves in Anaheim's fourth loss in five games.
Marchment has hat trick, assist in Stars' 8-1 drubbing of Blackhawks
Mason Marchment registered his second career hat trick and added an assist as the Dallas Stars rolled to an 8-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to sweep the teams' two-game weekend series.
Dallas needed overtime to pull out a 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks on Friday, but had far less trouble in the rematch. Goals by Craig Smith, Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin gave the Stars a 3-0 lead after one period and the Stars struck twice more in the second.
After Sam Steel ripped a backhand past Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek 3:43 into the period, Marchment got his first of the night on a power play with 7:10 left in the second to increase the lead to 5-0.
Philipp Kurashev scored on a power play 39 seconds into the third period for Chicago's lone goal. Roope Hintz answered for Dallas just over four minutes later with his fourth goal in two games, however, and Marchment completed the hat trick with two goals in the final six minutes.
Seguin, Matt Duchene, Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson all had two assists in Dallas' fifth win in six games, while Scott Wedgewood finished with 23 saves.
Mrazek was pulled early in the third period after allowing six goals on 31 shots, with Arvid Soderblom stopping eight of 10 chances in relief.
Nedeljkovic, Eller spark surging Penguins' win over Islanders
The Pittsburgh Penguins stayed hot as well with their fifth win in six games, a 3-1 decision over the New York Islanders behind Alex Nedeljkovic's 37 saves and two goals from Lars Eller.
Nedeljkovic stopped 14 shots in the first period as Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead into the intermission when Eller converted a feed from Jansen Harkins just 2:18 in.
Noel Acciari's goal 2:20 into the second extended the Penguins' advantage, though the Islanders got back in it when Samuel Bolduc scored unassisted with 6:09 left to play.
Nedeljkovic kept New York at bay the rest of the way, however, before Eller completed his first two-goal game since April 2022 with an empty-netter in the final minute.
The Islanders lost to Pittsburgh for the second time in five days despite a strong outing from goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who turned back 35 of 37 shots.
Former electrician Rob Cross turned off ‘The Power’ for what looked to be the final time as he denied the retiring Phil Taylor a 17th world title with a stunning 7-2 victory at Alexandra Palace on this day in 2018.
The then 57-year-old Taylor had aspirations of ending his illustrious career in fairytale fashion but would not have envisaged the kind of performance Cross was to produce in his maiden World Championship final.
Cross, without a Tour card 12 months previously, averaged a remarkable 107.67, hit 11 maximums and had a checkout percentage of 60 to end his first year as a professional on the PDC circuit in emphatic style.
He said: “I’ve won my first world title, but tonight is all about Phil Taylor. Everything he’s done for the game, I hope he enjoys his retirement.”
Cross went on to win the World Matchplay a year later and claimed the European titles in 2019 and 2021.
Taylor, the 16-time world champion, initially walked away from the sport in 2018 after losing this final but returned to competitive darts in 2022.
In November 2023 he confirmed the World Senior Darts Tour in 2024 would be his last year on the circuit.
He said: “I’ll always love performing to the best of my ability, but time waits for no man and I know now is the right time to step away from the Tour.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey over the past 35 years and I’ve loved every minute of it.
“I’m going to be working just as hard as I always have to make sure I give the fans what they want and go out on top.”
The Green Bay Packers took control of their own playoff destiny as they beat the Minnesota Vikings 33-10.
Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns and ran for another while Aaron Jones rushed for 120 yards as the Packers moved to 8-8 and ahead of the Seattle Seahawks in the race for the final NFC wildcard spot.
Victory over the Chicago Bears in their final game of the regular season will seal a playoff berth.
The Seahawks lost 30-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who kept their playoff hopes alive courtesy of two touchdowns and 122 yards rushing from Najee Harris,
The Baltimore Ravens underlined their Super Bowl credentials with a crushing 56-19 victory over closest AFC conference rivals the Miami Dolphins.
The Ravens, Super Bowl winners in 2000 and 2012, secured top seeding from the AFC and will have a bye when the opening playoff matches take place.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was in imperious form as his team scored eight touchdowns, including two for tight end Isaiah Likely.
Top seeding in the NFC was confirmed for the San Francisco 49ers – for the first time since 2019 – following a 27-10 success against the Washington Commanders, but there were also a number of close encounters during the regular season’s penultimate round.
Six field goals from Harrison Butker kicked the Kansas City Chiefs to a 25-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals as they clinched an eighth consecutive AFC West title.
But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to wait for a third straight NFC South crown as they went down 23-13 to the New Orleans Saints.
The two teams are tied at the top of the division heading into the final week of the regular season on 8-8. The Buccaneers will take the title with a win over the Carolina Panthers..
James Conner’s touchdown with just 32 seconds remaining saw the Arizona Cardinals shock the stuttering Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 after it looked as though Jake Elliott’s 43-yard field goal would be enough for the hosts, who had led 21-6 at the start of the second half.
The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, pipped the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20, and Josh Allen claimed two touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills edged out the New England Patriots 27-21.
It was even closer between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, with the Rams claiming a 26-25 verdict thanks to Kyren Williams’ trio of touchdowns.
Elsewhere, the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans 26-3, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 26-0 victors over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears brushed aside the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 while the Denver Broncos edged out the Los Angeles Chargers 16-9
Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Houston now all have 9-7 records in the AFC South, while Carolina’s loss means Chicago will own the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for the second successive year.
Jayson Tatum scored 25 points to lead six Boston players in double figures as the Celtics stretched their winning streak to six games with Sunday's 134-101 blowout of the struggling San Antonio Spurs.
Jaylen Brown added 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a game the NBA-leading Celtics never trailed, while former Spur Derrick White went 7 of 11 from the field while recording 17 points and five assists against his ex-team.
Tatum had 15 first-half points and White 13 as Boston built a 65-53 lead at the break. Brown then tallied 16 of the Celtics' 40 third-quarter points as Boston increased the margin to 105-76 entering the fourth.
The Celtics led by as many as 37 points in the final period.
San Antonio got 22 points from Devin Vassell and 21 out of heralded rookie Victor Wembanyama, but lost for the seventh time in eight games to fall to 5-27 on the season.
Williamson, Ingram help Pelicans cruise past Lakers
ZIon Williamson and Brandon Ingram each had 26 points to lead a dominant performance by the New Orleans Pelicans, who dealt the Los Angeles Lakers a second straight loss with Sunday's 129-109 rout.
CJ McCollum added 22 points and nine assists for New Orleans, which lead nearly start-to-finish en route to a second straight victory.
Excellent perimeter shooting keyed this win, as the Pelicans shot 50 per cent (17 of 34) from 3-point range. McCollum hit 6 of 11 shots from beyond the arc and Ingram was 4 of 7.
The scuffling Lakers lost for the seventh time in nine games despite 34 points and eight assists from LeBron James and Anthony Davis' 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Los Angeles owned a slight lead just past the midway point of the first quarter, but McCollum made four 3-pointers during a 14-1 run that gave New Orleans a 35-23 lead with three minutes left in the opening period.
The Pelicans didn't let up from there. They built a lead as large as 19 points in the second quarter before going into the half holding a comfortable 74-57 advantage, then maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Durant, Beal lift surging Suns over Magic
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Bradley Beal added 25 and the Phoenix Suns fought off a late charge from the Orlando Magic to earn a 112-107 victory for their third straight win.
Beal, playing for just the second time since missing two weeks with a sprained ankle, made 10 of 13 field goal attempts while registering a season-high point total. Durant went 12 of 21 from the field for Phoenix, which also received 21 points from Devin Booker and 19 points and 13 rebounds from Jusuf Nurkic.
Phoenix built a 37-24 lead after one quarter and was up by 11 late in the third, but the Magic fought back with a 13-2 run to tie the game at 87-87 before Beal's jumper to close out the period put the Suns back ahead.
Orlando stayed close and got within 103-102 when Paolo Banchero converted a three-point play with 6:05 remaining, but Durant had five points during a 9-0 run that got the Suns back up by double digits with under two minutes to go.
Banchero compiled 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, who had won three of four coming in. Franz Wagner finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss.
Teenager Luke Littler wants to “beat even more records” as he continues his dream World Darts Championship campaign with a quarter-final against Brendan Dolan on Monday.
The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene at Alexandra Palace and became the youngest player to reach the last eight when he hammered five-time world champion and his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 on Saturday.
That set up a winnable tie with Northern Irishman Dolan, who has seen off former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson in the last two rounds, on New Year’s Day and he is now dreaming of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.
If Littler was to win the title it would be one of the greatest sporting stories and he would out-do several famous young achievers.
Pele was 17 when he won the World Cup with Brazil, Boris Becker claimed his first Wimbledon title at 18 while Mike Tyson was 20 when he became heavyweight world champion.
Littler, nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, has not heard of all of those names, including that of 2021 US Open singles champion Emma Raducanu, who his story shares many parallels with, but he believes there is more to come.
“Unbelievable, the names you have just said,” he said. “I know Mike, I only know Pele off FIFA and I don’t know the other ones.
“I have certainly broken the rules and records already but I know if my game is there I can beat even more records.
“My game is there, it is every darting kid’s, man’s, whoever’s dream to win it. I have certainly got the game, it is whatever happens on the day, whatever Luke Littler turns up.”
Littler’s impressive run has seen him hit the headlines around the world and enjoy celebrity status.
Littler and his family received complimentary tickets to watch Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday night, with Gunners pair Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale asking him for a photo, while players from his beloved Manchester United sent him good luck messages before the match with Van Barneveld.
“It was unbelievable,” he added. “I was walking to my room and one of the security guards from Arsenal said to me Declan and Aaron wanted a picture with me and I just went ‘a picture with me’, and they came out for one.
“They said they have a dartboard up in the changing room. It is crazy for them to want a picture with me, it should be the other way around.
“It was incredible to get the messages, obviously United didn’t get the win (at Forest), but Jonny (Evans) and Gary (Neville) are United legends and Jonny is still playing for us, it was just incredible.”
Rob Cross plays Chris Dobey in the opening match of 2024 while Michael van Gerwen should have too much for controversial Scott Williams and Luke Humphries takes on Dave Chisnall in the other quarter-final.
Naomi Osaka made a winning return to tennis as she beat Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 7-6 in the first round of the Brisbane International.
The former world number one has not played since withdrawing from the Pan Pacific Trophy with a knee injury in September 2021. She became a mother for the first time in July.
She returned to the court in style, breaking Korpatsch to love in the first game and did not face a break point as she clinched the first set in 39 minutes.
Osaka looked set for a routine victory when she broke for a 5-3 lead in the second set, but Korpatsch fought back to take it into a tie break – Osaka winning 11-9 on her third match point.
“The last couple of years that I played before I had my daughter, I didn’t return as much love as I was given,” Osaka said on court after the match. “I feel like that’s what I want to do in this chapter.
“I just really appreciate people coming out and knowing me and cheering for me because I feel like there was a time I was just a little kid trying to watch my role models play.
“So it feels really surreal sometimes to be playing on these courts.”
The former US Open and Australian Open will meet Karolina Pliskova, another former world number one and a three-time champion in Brisbane, in the second round.
The Baltimore Ravens underlined their Super Bowl credentials with a crushing 56-19 victory over closest AFC conference rivals the Miami Dolphins.
The Ravens, Super Bowl winners in 2000 and 2012, secured top seeding from the AFC and will have a bye when the opening play-off matches take place.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was in imperious form as his team scored eight touchdowns, including two for tight end Isaiah Likely.
Top seeding in the NFC was confirmed for the San Francisco 49ers – the first time since 2019 – following a 27-10 success against the Washington Commanders, but there were also a number of close encounters during the regular season’s penultimate round.
James Conner’s touchdown with just 32 seconds remaining saw the Arizona Cardinals shock the stuttering Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 after it looked as though Jake Elliott’s 43-yard field goal would be enough for the hosts, who had led 21-6 at the start of the second half.
The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, pipped the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20, and Josh Allen claimed two touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills edged out the New England Patriots 27-21.
It was even closer between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, with the Rams claiming a 26-25 verdict thanks to Kyren Williams’ trio of touchdowns.
Elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints saw off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-13 to join the NFC South leaders with 8-8 records, the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans 26-3, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 26-0 victors over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears brushed aside the Atlanta Falcons 37-17.
Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Houston now all have 9-7 records in the AFC South, while Carolina’s loss means Chicago will own the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for the second successive year.
Conor McGregor says his UFC comeback fight will be against American Michael Chandler next summer.
McGregor posted a New Year’s Eve video on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he says the fight will be in Las Vegas on June 29.
The 35-year-old Irishman last fought in July 2021, when he broke his leg during a defeat against Dustin Poirier.
McGregor said the weight class would be 185lbs, with the contest taking place during International Fight Week.
He described it as “the greatest comeback of all time” during the 42-second video.
Teenager Luke Littler wants to continue ripping up the record books as he targets a place in the World Darts Championship semi-finals.
The 16-year-old has taken Alexandra Palace by storm and became the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals when he emphatically beat five-time world champion and his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 on Saturday.
That set up a winnable last-eight tie with Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan on New Year’s Day and he is now dreaming of lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.
If Littler was to win the title it would be one of the greatest sporting stories of all time and he would out-do several famous young achievers.
Pele was 17 when he won the World Cup with Brazil, Boris Becker was 18 as he claimed his first Wimbledon title while Mike Tyson became heavyweight world champion at 20.
Littler, nicknamed ‘The Nuke’, has not heard of all of those names, including that of 2021 US Open singles champion Emma Raducanu, who his story shares many parallels with, but he thinks there is more to come.
“Unbelievable, the names you have just said,” he said. “I know Mike, I only know Pele off FIFA and I don’t know the other ones.
“I have certainly broken the rules and records already but I know if my game is there I can beat even more records.
“My game is there, it is every darting kid’s, man’s, whoever’s dream to win it. I have certainly got the game, it is whatever happens on the day, whatever Luke Littler turns up.”
Littler’s run has already made him a recognisable name and he has enjoyed celebrity status after bursting onto the scene.
Littler and his family received complimentary tickets to watch Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday night, with Gunners pair Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale asking him for a photo, while players from his beloved Manchester United sent him good luck messages before the match with Van Barneveld.
“It was unbelievable,” he added. “I was walking to my room and one of the security guards from Arsenal said to me Declan and Aaron wanted a picture with me and I just went ‘a picture with me’, and they came out for one.
“They said they have a dartboard up in the changing room. It is crazy for them to want a picture with me, it should be the other way around.
“It was incredible to get the messages, obviously United didn’t get the win (at Forest), but Jonny (Evans) and Gary (Neville) are United legends and Jonny is still playing for us, it was just incredible.”
Littler also appeared as a guest in James Maddison’s box at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon for Spurs’ clash with Bournemouth.
Dolan will be no pushover as he has beaten two former world champions in the last two rounds in Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson.
Rob Cross faces Chris Dobey in the opening match of 2024 while Michael van Gerwen should have too much for controversial Scott Williams and Luke Humphries takes on Dave Chisnall in the other quarter-final.
Willie Mullins has a trio of chances in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore on Monday.
Classic Getaway was a Listed scorer on his seasonal debut at Thurles in November, winning over two miles and six furlongs ahead of Haut En Couleurs and French Dynamite.
He was ridden by Danny Mullins on that occasion and will be once again in the Tramore Grade Three won four times in a row by dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo.
“Danny sticks with Classic Getaway having won with him already this season, he’ll have race fitness on his side,” said the Closutton trainer.
Monkfish is another runner for the all-conquering stable, a nine-year-old who returns to chasing after his successful novice career over fences was cut short due to injury in 2021.
He returned to action at the tail end of last season with two runs over hurdles and will now tackle fences for the first time in several years.
“Monkfish goes there with probably the highest rating over jumps, but it will be his first run this season in very testing ground,” said Mullins.
“Maybe he’ll love the ground, but we’ll see how he is.”
Bronn is the third Mullins runner and looks to return to form after a beaten run at Wexford last time where he met with a minor injury.
Mullins said: “Bronn came back in with an injury after his last run, I’m hoping to put a line through it. He’s another horse that will love these conditions.”
Away from Tramore, Mullins has a pair of good chances at Fairyhouse where Cheltenham Festival runner-up Allegorie De Vassy contests the Grade Three John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase alongside stablemate Instit.
The Fairyhouse event will be a renewal of a rivalry between the two horses that saw them finish first and second respectively in the T.A. Morris Memorial Mares Chase at Clonmel in early November.
“Allegorie De Vassy shows a liking for Fairyhouse, the conditions should really suit her,” Mullins said.
“Instit is another one who has good Fairyhouse form so she should be a good second string to Allegorie De Vassy.”
Willie Mullins’ Sir Gerhard seemed to relish a return to smaller obstacles when taking the feature Tote Guarantee Available On Course & Tote.ie Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Cheveley Park-owned bay was top class over the smaller obstacles earlier in his career, taking the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022, having won the Champion Bumper at Prestbury Park 12 months previously.
Though he won on his chasing debut last January and finished a close second in the Grade One Gold Cup at Fairyhouse in April, his jumping did not always fill onlookers with confidence.
He was again tried over fences on his first run of this season but fell in the Barberstown Castle Chase at Naas and was reverted to hurdling this time around.
Under Paul Townend, he was the 10-11 favourite and looked to get his mojo back by winning by two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Thedevilscoachman.
“That was a nice performance and he’s got his confidence back over hurdles anyway,” said Mullins.
“We’ll probably stick to hurdles now this season and he may go down the Stayers’ Hurdle route.
“He jumped well at Naas until he fell and it took him a while to recover from that fall.
“I thought looking at him going down to the start that he looked big and I’d be hoping there is more improvement.”
Irish Injured Jockeys chairman Ruby Walsh has hailed continued support from the Association of Irish Racecourses as a “massive” boost.
The AIR, which represents all 26 Irish racecourses, has pledged a combined total donation of €369,000 to the charity over the next three years – €123,000 per annum.
This donation will go towards IIJ running costs in an effort to ensure that public income raised through donations and fundraisers will go to service users and beneficiaries.
Former champion National Hunt rider Walsh said: “On behalf of the Irish Injured Jockeys, I would like to sincerely thank and acknowledge the 26 racecourses for their support.
“The extension of their financial commitment for another three years is massive for IIJ and testament to the great relationship we have with the racecourses.
“Their support will allow us to continue the important work we do and expand our services to riders. Their support towards IIJ running costs is a noble gesture and a remarkable contribution for which we are most grateful.”
Donations are set on a scaled basis depending on the racecourse grade and each track pays their pledged amount to IIJ direct.
Conor O’Neill, chairman of the AIR and CEO of Punchestown, said: “Jockeys are the cornerstone of racing, providing racegoers with great days out and brilliant racing memories.
“However, we are acutely aware that it is a high-risk sport and the extraordinary physical demands our jockeys face for our sporting pleasure.
“Irish racecourses enjoy superb relationships with jockeys and greatly value the time they give us to promote our wonderful sport each year.
“In recognition of that, the Association of Irish Racecourses is delighted to formally demonstrate our commitment with €123,000 per year for the next three years to support the incredible work the Irish Injured Jockeys do.”
Willie Mullins’ Storm Heart made an impressive Irish debut when running away with the Tote.ie 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.
The gelding was a Flat winner in France before changing hands to join Mullins for Gigginstown House Stud.
Punchestown was his first run on Irish turf and, under Paul Townend, he was the 2-5 favourite in an 11-runner affair.
He travelled well throughout and was much the best, strolling easily clear to secure an unchallenged 22-length victory.
“It was a very good introduction, I didn’t expect that,” Mullins said.
“I was hoping he was all right, but he’s more than all right looking at that performance.
“Paul thought he was very brave too, as he got blinded at one or two hurdles. He lost his confidence for one or two but got it back. He took them on and he loves jumping.
“I would have said coming here there was huge improvement in him, and I hope there is.
“He’s probably good enough to go wherever we wanted.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star got off the mark over fences when winning the Download The New Tote App Beginners Chase.
The six-year-old was a Grade Three winner over hurdles and graduated to the larger obstacles this season, starting out in a competitive beginners chase at Fairyhouse, where he was third behind Corbetts Cross and Three Card Brag.
The latter horse was also entered at Punchestown and went off the 4-11 favourite, as Monty’s Star was a 9-4 chance under Rachael Blackmore.
Three Card Brag led for much of the race but did not always jump fluently, whereas Monty’s Star gained ground with every fence and eventually came out on top after a tussle in the home straight.
“Jumping is his biggest asset and even though it’s tough ground to jump out of, he did it well,” said Blackmore.
“He stayed on and galloped out well to the line. We didn’t go a mad gallop, but it was a good performance on tough ground. He’s improved from the last day.”
Clonmeen took the Tote, Never Beaten By SP Handicap Chase for rider Simon Torrens and trainer William Murphy.
The 4-1 chance was back in fine spirits after a spell under the weather since scoring at Down Royal seven weeks ago and prevailed by a head in the three-mile event.
Murphy said: “The horses were all sick for about six weeks and it’s great to see them back in form.
“That was tight for comfort, but it was a tough performance, and the main thing is he won.
“We might think about something like the National Trial back here.”
A trip to the Dublin Racing Festival could be on the agenda for Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road after missing out on an intended engagement at Chepstow over the Christmas period.
A Royal Ascot winner on the Flat when trained by Michael Bell, the three-year-old has made a smooth transition to hurdling and followed up a taking jumps debut at Huntingdon with a taking display at Cheltenham in November.
That saw the gelding installed as most bookmakers’ market leader for the juvenile showpiece on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and he was due to continue his hurdling education in Chepstow’s Finale Juvenile Hurdle.
However, significant rainfall turned conditions severely testing at the South Wales track, with James Owen deciding to save his high-class operator for another day.
A return to Prestbury Park on Cheltenham Trials Day and a trip to Leopardstown’s Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle are top of the possible alternatives.
Owen said: “The horse comes first. It would have been nice to run, but there are plenty of other options. He’s in great order and I couldn’t be happier with him.
“He will either go to Cheltenham on Trials Day and he will also have an entry for Leopardstown in early February, the Spring Juvenile Hurdle.
“We will just pick the most suitable option. We would like to run him once more before the Triumph and timing wise these two races are really good.”
On the chance of Burdett Road being a rare Leopardstown raider from the UK, he added: “It’s an option and we’ve talked about it.
“It’s an early closer, it’s very good prize-money and he doesn’t get a penalty in it. It’s an option we want to have and we will decide nearer the time.
“It’s six weeks out from Cheltenham, so would give us plenty of time.”
A run at either Cheltenham or Leopardstown would give Burdett Road the chance to consolidate his position at the top of the Triumph Hurdle market after both Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino and the Willie Mullins-trained Bunting laid down their claims over Christmas.
Chepstow’s Grade Two was won by Gary Moore’s Salver, who flourished in the gruelling conditions and Owen was more than happy to watch on from the side as Burdett Road skipped that contest.
“We were there and it’s a shame the ground went as it did and we just felt we didn’t need to run him on the testing ground,” said Owen.
“He doesn’t have a lot to prove, we know he’s a good horse and he just needs another run going into the race (Triumph) – and unfortunately that wasn’t the day for it.
“It’s a shame, as looking at the forecast it looked like we would get away with it and they were calling the ground good to soft. But they did get a deluge.”
Connections of Marie’s Rock are anticipating a blockbuster showdown with Bob Olinger when their star mare defends her Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle title at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day
Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham Festival scorer has always shown a liking to the Prestbury Park undulations and won this contest in real style 12 months ago.
However, the Middleham Park Racing-owned Marie’s Rock will have to pass a stern test if she is to retain her crown, as a strong cast of four have assembled for the Group Two feature of Cheltenham’s opening meeting of 2024.
“It’s a bit of a different race this year and it’s a very good field,” said Middleham Park’s National Hunt racing manager Tom Palin.
“Olly (Murphy) has two in there and it’s a tried-and-tested route for Brewin’upastorm, while his other runner, Strong Leader, is an interesting edition.
“Bob Olinger though, he is a class horse over many years, and he is one I would be extremely respectful and worried about. He sets the standard really and on his going day this is very much is perfect race for him. But then again, Marie’s Rock is the defending queen, if you will.
“It will be a hell of a battle up that hill between ourselves and Bob Olinger. I’m extremely looking forward to watching that unfold – it should be a premier race for the first premier fixture and hopefully we are on the right side of it.”
Marie’s Rock was last seen failing to truly stay three miles for a second time on reappearance at Newbury.
She now returns to the distance her best performances have come at despite her team still harbouring staying ambitions for the future
“There is a bit of discussion about which trip is her optimum,” continued Palin.
“We know she is very good over two and a half at Cheltenham and as I’ve said before, this is very much to make sure she is absolute spot on fitness wise and built up as much fizz and freshness as we can before we go up to three miles with her again next time and that should answer the trip question once and for all.
“That isn’t to say this is some kind of three-mile prep race. She’s very much here with her best foot forward. It is Marie’s Rock playing at home and we would love to get the year off to a flying start the same way as we did last year.
“When you see four runners I was extremely worried about what could be a lack of pace. But I think Strong Leader will be the one that goes forward – they might switch it up and send Brewin’upastorm on – but we will just take a bit of a lead off whoever, get her switched off and into a rhythm.
“When she is relaxed and travelling she is electric over her hurdles. She is in her comfort zone then and a joy to watch.”
There will also be a change of jockey on Marie’s Rock with the sidelined Nico de Boinville replaced by Seven Barrows number two, the in-form James Bowen.
“Myself and Nicky both think James could be a good fit for her with the way he rides,” added Palin.
“He just drops his hands and lets them travel, so I think she could be a good horse for James to ride actually.
“I’m quite excited and it’s unfortunate what has happened to Nico, but it will be interesting to see James ride her and that could be a good fit and hopefully the pace will be strong enough for her to relax, get into a good rhythm, angle off that bend and away we go.”
Marie’s Rock’s Relkeel rival Bob Olinger needs no introduction, especially at Cheltenham, and Henry de Bromhead’s two-time Festival hero appeared back to near his imperious best when snatching the Lismullen Hurdle in November.
De Bromhead has swerved possible outings on home soil to stay at two and a half miles for this raiding mission and his regular pilot Rachael Blackmore foregoes the New Year’s Day meetings at Fairyhouse and Tramore to come over for steering duties.
She told Betfair: “I’m looking forward too to riding Bob Olinger. We were delighted to see him back at Navan the last day, he did really well, he battled on strongly to get the better of Zanahiyr and win the Lismullen Hurdle.
“He came out of the race really well, so hopefully he can build on that now. We know that he goes well at the track, and this extended two and a half miles is a good distance for him.
“It’s only a four-horse race, but it’s a competitive race, and we have to give 7lb to Marie’s Rock, who won the Mares’ Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and who won this race last year. But Bob is in great form, and I hope that he can go well.”
The select quartet is complete by Olly Murphy’s aforementioned duo Brewin’upastorm and Strong Leader, with the former a regular in this race and the latter a good second when upped in distance at Ascot last time.
Of Strong Leader, Murphy said: “He had a good run at Ascot, and I think the outer track at Cheltenham will suit him. He seems in good form, and he is still relatively unexposed. I’m hoping that he has a good each-way chance.
“He was still quite green at Ascot and appeared to appreciate the step up in trip, we thought we would do that after his run in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he wants further in time. I’d say we could probably look at going up in trip in the spring, but it would be nice to win a good pot over two and a half miles with him first.
“He was a good novice hurdler, and he was the first of the British-trained horses home in the Supreme last season.
“It was good to see him come out and run so well at Ascot. He is rated in the mid-140s now and hopefully with time he can improve on that mark.”
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
