Slade Steel was an impressive winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as the 2024 Cheltenham Festival got under way.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the 7-2 chance travelled in the middle of the field and stalked the leaders before mounting a challenge on the turn for home.
Then he began to pick off the horses ahead of him and jumped into the lead before accelerating again up the hill when strongly challenged by Mystical Power, taking top honours by a length and a half.
“I’m delighted with him, Rachael gave him a super ride and fair play to the Robcour team – they said Ballyburn has beaten us twice and we need to just avoid him, so that’s what we did and it’s worked out really well for us,” said De Bromhead.
The Minnesota Vikings potentially found their new quarterback on Tuesday while also adding a familiar face to the backfield.
The Vikings agreed to a one-year, $10million deal with signal-caller Sam Darnold after losing Kirk Cousins on the first day of free agency and brought in former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones for one year and $7million.
After Cousins agreed to a reported four-year contract worth up to $180million with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Minnesota quickly added Darnold and will give the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft a chance to earn the starting job.
Darnold has appeared in 66 career games with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers,
In 56 starts, Darnold has posted a 21-35 record while throwing 62 touchdown passes and 55 interceptions.
Jones stays in the NFC North after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Packers, who released him on Monday after agreeing to terms with former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.
A dual threat out of the backfield, Jones has rushed for 5,940 yards and 45 touchdowns in 97 career games while adding 2,076 receiving yards and 18 touchdown catches.
Jones’ 63 scrimmage touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2017 are the ninth-most in the league during that span.
Nicky Henderson is optimistic Jonbon can give familiar foe El Fabiolo a run for his money when they clash for a third time in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Jonbon was a narrow victor when the top-class pair first clashed in a Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree in April 2022, but El Fabiolo took his revenge 12 months ago when running out a facile winner of the Arkle Trophy.
With Jonbon making a fine start to his season with wins in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham and the Tingle Creek at Sandown, and El Fabiolo successful on his reappearance in the Hilly Way at Cork, their rivalry was scheduled to resume in January’s Clarence House Chase, but the abandonment of racing at Ascot meant they instead went their separate ways.
While El Fabiolo stretched his unbeaten record over fences to six at the Dublin Racing Festival, Jonbon suffered a shock reverse in a rescheduled Clarence House on Cheltenham Trials day, with Henderson of the opinion that the extra week proved detrimental to his charge.
“I was really looking forward to Ascot and the clash with El Fabiolo, we were in absolute tip-top shape and I was very confident for that, we were very prepared for it,” he said.
“Jonbon is the one horse, when you’ve wound up the clock, a week was a long time for him, I couldn’t wind him up anymore and it gave us a headache of a week.
“They’ll go some gallop in the Champion Chase and I think that suits him. It looks as if Edwardstone has come into pacemaking duties and he looked very good at Newbury, but in some ways I don’t think that is a bad thing for us.”
El Fabiolo will look to provide Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with a third successive Champion Chase victory following the back-to-back triumphs of Energumene.
Townend said: “He’s made the step into open company well this year and goes here off the back of a good win at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s another exciting one for the week.”
Edwardstone won the 2022 Arkle for Alan King, and while he was no match for Jonbon in either the Shloer or the Tingle Creek earlier in the season, he looked right back to his best under a positive ride in last month’s Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.
“He’s never really been away and his two runs behind Jonbon were very good. All right his run at Kempton over two and a half (miles) didn’t work, which was disappointing, but he has done very little wrong in his life,” said King.
“He’s in good order, but this is a totally different ball game to the Game Spirit.”
On whether Edwardstone could attempt to make all the running, the trainer added: “We’ll worry about tactics on the day, but there will be plenty of pace on and the Tizzard horse (Elixir De Nutz) will go forward. We’re certainly not going to drop him in, but we’ll see what happens.
“We’ve had a good preparation, but it’s up to him now. It’s nice to be part of it, but I’m not going there with any great expectations that we are going to win it.”
Elixir De Nutz was the horse that inflicted defeat upon Jonbon in the Clarence House, a first Grade One success for trainer Joe Tizzard and his nephew rider Freddie Gingell.
Tizzard feels he merits his place in the Champion Chase field, even if he is a big outsider.
He said: “He’s in top nick and Fred had a sit on him last Monday. He’s ready to go.
“He’s probably had his Gold Cup this season but if there are any flaws in the others, then he will be bang there.”
The Henry de Bromhead-trained Captain Guinness was best of the rest behind Energumene in last year’s renewal and is back for more after placing third behind El Fabiolo at Leopardstown.
“He was just a bit unfortunate at Christmas, but other than that he’s been brilliant,” said De Bromhead.
“It would be amazing if he could go one better than last year, fingers crossed.”
Paul Nicholls believes putting cheekpieces on Stay Away Fay for the first time could prove key to a second Cheltenham Festival success for his charge in Wednesday’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The seven-year-old sprang something of a surprise when prevailing in last season’s Albert Bartlett as an 18-1 chance and has taken well to jumping fences this term.
He rallied gamely when scoring at Exeter in November and then stayed on strongly to get the better of the reopposing Giovinco at Grade Two level at Sandown over three miles.
Taking on open company in the Cotswold Chase at Prestbury Park on Trials day proved just too stiff a test, as Stay Away Fay finished third behind Capodanno and The Real Whacker, who famously landed this prize 12 months ago when edging out Gerri Colombe.
However, Nicholls was far from discouraged and is looking forward to taking on much-vaunted Irish raider Fact To File.
The Ditcheat handler said: “He’s in good form and will run in cheekpieces, they will sharpen him up a little bit and he’s in good shape.
“The Cotswold run was perfect (as a prep run), he ran very well and he’s much improved since then.
“I just probably wish it was on the New course, which is a bit stiffer, but I can’t complain.
“They seem to think the Irish horse will win every race he starts in from now onwards and obviously he is a very good horse and people who know what they are talking about seem to think he’s a very nice horse, so we will have to see on the day.”
Fact To File was second in last year’s Champion Bumper, after which Willie Mullins opted to bypass a stint over hurdles and send him straight to novice chasing.
He was outjumped by American Mike when second at Navan first time out this term but was much more fluent over the obstacles when trouncing Champion Hurdle third Zanahiyr at Leopardstown over Christmas.
That set up a fascinating match with Gaelic Warrior at the Dublin Racing Festival and Fact To File had already got the measure of his stablemate when Paul Townend was unseated by that sole rival at the final fence.
Mullins said: “Fact To File has done everything right. His speed figure at the Dublin Racing Festival was fantastic.
“Someone told me at Christmas that in his beginners’ chase he did a huge one, I’m into what I see visually and the way they do it, but the run at Christmas it transpired was right and he doubled down on it.”
American Mike followed up his triumph over Fact To File with a disappointing effort at Limerick but returned to winning ways when stepped up to three miles for the Grade Two Ten Up Novice Chase back at Navan.
The seven-year-old was subsequently supplemented for this contest over the same trip and Gordon Elliott said: “We just thought it was the race to go for, so that’s where we’re going.
“He’s a good horse and we’re looking forward to running him. Obviously, Fact To File has gone the right way (since we beat him), but we’ll see how we go.”
Henry de Bromhead is hoping Monty’s Star can remain on an upward curve after he followed up a fair third behind Corbetts Cross at Fairyhouse with a convincing Punchestown victory.
“He’s in great form, he’s travelled over well and all is good,” said the trainer. “He won nicely in Punchestown and he’s progressing.”
Sandor Clegane was third behind Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett last term and renews their rivalry after a couple of solid second-place finishes in graded company across the Irish Sea over fences, most recently when chasing home Embassy Gardens at Naas.
“He had a good run here last year and we’re hoping he’s in a better place,” said Paul Nolan.
“I think his last run, even though he was beaten a long way by Embassy Gardens, was a good run. He sort of went around on his own on the inside and we were delighted after schooling him last week. He took all his fences better and I think he’s a better horse than he has been all year.
“One of the best horses in Cheltenham this year seems to be Fact To File, Willie has spoken very highly of him and he’s going to be very hard to beat, but I think our fellow is there with a chance and I’m hoping we’ll be in the first three.”
Dual winner Flooring Porter, Grand National hero Noble Yeats and previous Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle victors Paisley Park and Sire Du Berlais are all set to line up in this year’s race.
Fergal O’Brien’s Long Walk winner Crambo, the Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo and the enigmatic duo of Asterion Forlonge and Champ have also been declared for what appears a fascinating renewal of the three-mile contest.
A total of 13 have been declared, with Willie Mullins’ Sir Gerhard another big player along with Dashel Drasher and Home By The Lee.
Janadil and Buddy One have also been declared.
Last year’s winner Envoi Allen leads 11 in the Ryanair Chase for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned 10-year-old has not run since November but has a habit of reserving his best for the Festival.
Paul Nicholls’ Stage Star needs to bounce back from a poor run on New Year’s Day but previously won the Paddy Power Chase under top weight. Stablemate Hitman also runs.
Dan Skelton’s Protektorat drops back in trip having had a crack at the Gold Cup for the last two years, Elliott runs Conflated and Fil Dor while Willie Mullins is represented by Capodanno.
The one horse who will not be suited by Tuesday’s rain is Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, who was a non-runner at the Festival last year when the ground went soft.
Ahoy Senor, Fugitif and the supplemented Ga Law make up the field.
The third Grade One on the card is the Turners Novices’ Chase in which an open field of 11 has been declared.
Ginny’s Destiny is gaining a reputation as a course specialist while Grey Dawning, Iroko and Gary Moore’s Le Patron all feature in a strong home team.
Facile Vega will be looking to redeem his reputation for Mullins who also runs Sharjah.
Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead carries plenty of stable confidence in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle where she will face the promising Jade De Grugy and Dysart Enos.
A full field of 24 will go to post in the Pertemps Network Final in which Farouk D’Alene is top weight.
There are 21 in the Trustatrader Plate, in which Jonjo O’Neill’s Crebilly is well fancied while Angels Dawn will bid for back-to-back wins in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Cheltenham’s cross-country course will have to pass an 8am inspection on Wednesday if the Glenfarclas Chase is to go ahead that afternoon.
Overnight rain has resulted in further easing of the going ahead of the start of the 2024 Festival, with the ground currently described as soft, heavy in places on the main course while the cross-country track is waterlogged in places.
A statement from Cheltenham said: “Following six millimetres of rainfall overnight, which is a significant change from the 2mm-4mm initially forecast, and with a further 4mm-6mm forecast today, there will now be an inspection on the cross-country course at 8am tomorrow. The cross-country course is currently waterlogged in places.
“In the unfortunate event that the cross-country course fails tomorrow’s inspection, we are working alongside the British Horseracing Authority on a contingency plan for the Glenfarclas Chase to be run on Friday, Gold Cup Day.
“We will keep everyone informed as and when decisions have been made.”
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama shrugged off Trayce Jackson-Davis' dunk after the Golden State Warriors ran out winners on Monday.
Jackson-Davis got the better of Wembanyama with just over a minute left of the fourth quarter, spinning the NBA draft's number one overall pick before finishing in style.
Wembanyama was left tumbling to the deck, and the Warriors went on to win 112-102.
But Wembanyama, who missed the Spurs' win over the Warriors at the weekend due to an ankle problem, is not overly concerned.
"Getting dunked on is nothing. It's part of the game," said the French youngster, fresh from finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
"I dunk on a lot of people and a lot of people dunk on me too. But I think I block more often than I get dunked on, so that's positive."
Reflecting on the Spurs' performance, Wembanyama added: "Consistency is always [important], but today I think it's also responding to the physicality that they put [out]. We didn’t have a strong enough response."
Explaining his thought process behind the dunk, Warriors rookie Jackson-Davis said: "I saw that he overplayed it, and he overplayed it to my right.
"I'm left-handed. So, I think I spun or got to my left hand and then I had to step on him. I just tried him.
"I told Kevon [Looney] before the game that if I got the chance to try him, I would. At the end of the day, sometimes you dunk on people, sometimes you get dunked on. It's just a basketball play."
Monday's win saw the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry, bounce back from back-to-back losses, with Golden State limiting the Spurs to just one point in the final stages of the fourth quarter.
"We weren't doing anything differently, just the effort and the connection," said coach Steve Kerr.
"If one guy is out of place and everybody's giving great effort, it still results in two points. I just felt we were better connected in the second half and as that went, we picked up some momentum."
Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 22 points, with Klay Thompson adding 21, to go with a contribution of 19 from Chris Paul.
David Rittich stopped all 26 shots he faced as the Los Angeles Kings put an end to the New York Islanders' six-game winning streak with Monday's 3-0 victory.
Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore all had goals to back Rittich's second shutout of the season as the Kings bounced back from Saturday's 4-1 home defeat to the Dallas Stars. Moore added an assist on Danault's goal, which gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead 6:07 into the third period.
After an eventful opening period, Kempe put the Kings ahead 7:14 into the second by rifling a shot over the glove of New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
Moore set up Danault's close-range goal that gave Los Angeles some more breathing room, then sealed the outcome with an empty-netter with 2:22 left to play.
Rittch polished off his sixth career shutout by making 13 saves in the final period.
Sorokin stopped 22 of 24 shots for New York, which had totalled 13 goals in winning the first two games of its current four-game road trip.
Kapanen, Hofer lead Blues over Bruins
Kasperi Kapanen had a goal and two assists to support a 36-save effort from Joel Hofer that sparked the St. Louis Blues to a needed 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Kevin Hayes and Brandon Saad added a goal and an assist each to help the Blues end a three-game losing streak and gain some ground in the Western Conference play-off race. St. Louis is six points back of the current holders of the West's final wild-card spot, the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Despite the Bruins owning a 24-17 shot advantage through the first two periods, the Blues built a 4-0 lead as Hofer outperformed counterpart Jeremy Swayman.
Kapanen opened the scoring midway through the first period and Robert Thomas made it 2-0 with a power-play goal later on in the frame. Hayes then extended the margin by burying a feed from Kapanen on a 3-on-1 rush with 4:31 elapsed in the second period.
Saad scored St. Louis' fourth goal later in the second period before the Bruins finally got on the board early in the third on David Pastrnak's team-leading 41st goal of the season.
Boston later pulled Swayman with still nearly nine minutes remaining, a decision that enabled St. Louis' Alexey Toropchenko to score into an empty net with 8:33 left to play.
Swayman stopped just 17 of 21 shots as the Bruins had a four-game point streak snapped (3-0-1).
Rangers extend Devils' struggles, pad lead in Metropolitan Division
Jonathan Quick made 20 saves and the New York Rangers scored twice in the second period en route to a 3-1 win over the still-slumping New Jersey Devils.
Mika Zibanejad and Erik Gustafsson accounted for the second-period goals that helped New York extend its lead over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes to four points in the Metropolitan Division.
Quick yielded only Simon Nemec's goal with 2:34 remaining to record his 389th career victory, two shy of tying Ryan Miller for the most by an American-born goaltender in NHL history.
Vincent Trocheck tacked on an empty-net goal with 1:13 left that sealed New Jersey's eighth loss in 11 games, and third in four outings since Travis Green replaced the fired Lindy Ruff as head coach last week.
Kaapo Kahknonen stopped 23 of 25 shots in his Devils' debut. The goaltender was acquired by New Jersey from the San Jose Sharks at Friday's trade deadline.
Kevin Durant scored 24 of his 37 points in the second half to help rally the Phoenix Suns to a 117-111 win over the hobbled Cleveland Cavaliers in a key inter-conference clash on Monday.
Durant added eight rebounds and six assists for Phoenix, which overcame a 19-point deficit in the second quarter while being boosted by All-Star Devin Booker's return from a sprained ankle.
Booker contributed 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting along with seven rebounds in 38 minutes after missing the Suns' last four games.
Darius Garland went 7 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with 30 points for the Cavaliers, who were again without three injured starters in All-Star Donovan Mitchell, forward Evan Mobley and guard Max Strus. Caris LeVert recorded 17 points and 11 assists in the loss.
Cleveland has lost two straight and dropped a game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Central Division.
Garland and the Cavs came out hot, as the standout guard put up 21 first-quarter points and Cleveland shot 66.7 per cent for the period to build a 41-32 lead. The margin grew in the second quarter, as Garland buried a 3-pointer to cap an 11-2 run that put the hosts up 63-44 with 4:50 left before half-time.
Phoenix closed the gap to 70-63 at the intermission before outscoring the Cavaliers by a 34-21 margin in the third quarter to pull ahead. Durant led the way with 19 points for the period on 6-of-8 shooting.
Cleveland fought back to tie the game at 104-104 with under eight minutes left, but Booker and Durant led the Suns on a 9-3 flurry that the latter finished with a 3-pointer that gave the Suns a 113-107 lead with 3:43 remaining.
Doncic extends triple-doubles streak, but 30-point run ends
Luka Dončić posted his seventh consecutive triple-double, though his record run of six straight games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists came to an end in the Dallas Mavericks' 127-92 rout of the Chicago Bulls.
Doncic recorded 14 assists and 12 rebounds but failed to hit the 30-point mark after being removed from the blowout win midway through the fourth quarter. He finished with 27 points.
Dallas also dominated inside en route to its third consecutive victory, as post players Derrick Lively and Daniel Gafford combined for 44 points on 20-of-21 shooting. Lively missed just one of his 12 attempts while compiling a career-high 22 points, while Gafford was 9 of 9 from the field to end with 20 points.
Gafford is now a perfect 28 of 28 on field goal attempts over his last four games.
The Mavericks set the tone right from the start, as they outscored Chicago by a whopping 44-16 margin in the first quarter while shooting 64.3 per cent as a team. Doncic had 15 points and seven assists for the period and Lively chipped in 10 points in just six minutes.
Chicago never mounted a serious threat the rest of the way, as Dallas took a 62-42 lead into half-time and went ahead by as many as 34 points in the third quarter.
Onuralp Bitim led the Bulls with a career-high 17 points off the bench. Chicago has now lost two straight following a three-game winning streak on the road from March 4-7.
Jokic, Nuggets overcome 22-point deficit to top Raptors
Nikola Jokić compiled a 35-point, 17-rebound, 12-assist triple-double that helped spark a big second-half comeback which lifted the Denver Nuggets to a hard-earned 125-119 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Denver trailed by 21 points in the third quarter and as many as 22 in the game before rallying behind Jokic and Jamal Murray, who recorded 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead bucket with 6:48 left to play.
Jokic also had a season-high six steals in addition to his 21st triple-double of the season.
The Nuggets moved to 9-1 since the All-Star break, though the underdog Raptors gave the defending NBA champions all they could handle for much of the night.
Toronto opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run to build a 45-32 lead and extended the margin to 68-51 at the break behind 15 points from RJ Barrett and 13 from rookie Gradey Dick.
The Nuggets began chipping away late in the third quarter, as they closed out the period on a 16-5 spurt to trim the deficit to 98-93 entering the fourth. Jokic had 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the quarter.
Murray's floater midway through the fourth quarter gave Denver a 108-107 lead, though the Raptors continued to keep it close until Michael Porter Jr.'s 3-pointer with 1:02 left to play proved to be too much to overcome as the Nuggets took a 124-119 edge into the final minute.
Barrett finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Toronto, which also received 24 points from Kelly Olynyk but lost for a fourth consecutive time.
World number one Novak Djokovic has been dumped out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by lucky loser Luca Nardi.
Nardi, 20, booked a last-16 meeting with American Tommy Paul as he won 6-4 3-6 6-3.
Currently 123 in the world, the Italian is the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level.
“I don’t know [how I held my nerve],” he said. “I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world, and beating Novak. It’s crazy.”
Sealing his victory with his sixth ace, Nardi hit 16 winners in the final set against just two from the five-times Indian Wells champion.
“It’s fine. You know, it’s part of the sport,” said Djokovic. “You just have to accept it. Some you win; some you lose. Hopefully I’ll win some more and still keep going.
“I guess every trophy that eventually comes my way is going to be great, obviously to break the kind of negative cycle a little bit I’m having in the last three, four tournaments where I haven’t really been close to my best.”
Paul reached the last 16 with a 6-4 6-4 win over France’s Ugo Humbert while seventh seed Holger Rune, ninth seed Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Grigor Dimitrov all moved through in straight sets.
But British number one Cameron Norrie went out after a dramatic 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 6-3 defeat to French veteran Gael Monfils.
The British number one led by a set and 3-0 before falling victim to a stirring comeback from the 37-year-old.
Monfils clawed back to level in an extraordinary second set tie-break in which he won a point with an underarm serve before clinching the set at the end of a stunning 31-stroke rally.
The Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew have agreed to a two-year, $25million contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
Minshew, whose contract will reportedly include $15million fully guaranteed, is expected to compete with second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell for the starting job.
The NFL’s free agency negotiating period began Monday, with deals not to be finalised until the league year begins on Wednesday.
A sixth-round pick in 2019, Minshew became the Indianapolis Colts’ starter last season once Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Minshew kept the Colts afloat in the AFC South and led them to a 9-8 record.
Formerly with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles, Minshew has played 49 career games, throwing for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Raiders entered last season with Jimmy Garoppolo starting under center, but then-interim coach Antonio Pierce benched the veteran for O’Connell, who won three of his final four starts.
The Raiders hired Pierce as a full-time head coach earlier this offseason and are hoping he can help the franchise win its first play-off game since the 2002 season.
Earlier Monday, former Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs agreed to a contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Emma Raducanu went down fighting as she was beaten in straight sets by world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Raducanu pushed the Belarusian to the limit, battling back from a break down to level at 5-5 in the second set before ultimately falling to a 6-3 7-5 defeat.
Despite her loss, the 21-year-old Briton will take confidence from the way she consistently pressured her opponent before Sabalenka finally claimed victory on her fourth match point.
Raducanu had booked her third-round berth after winning back-to-back matches for the first time since her run to the last 16 of the same tournament last year.
Cameron Norrie also went out after a dramatic 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 6-3 defeat to French veteran Gael Monfils.
The British number one led by a set and 3-0 before falling victim to a stirring comeback from the 37-year-old, who revelled in the support of the majority of the crowd.
Monfils clawed back to level in an extraordinary second set tie-break in which he won a point with an underarm serve before clinching the set at the end of a stunning 31-stroke rally.
Monfils said in an on-court interview: “I’ve been working hard. Cam was playing very good tactically. He was better than me at the beginning.
“I had to change and think about it. I had to improve a couple things in my game to give him trouble and at the end I was happy that physically I could stay with him.”
The KPMG Jamaica Squash League kicked off its much-anticipated season with defending champions, Advantage General Insurance (AGI), securing comfortable victories in their first-round matches at the Liguanea Club. The 16-team league, sponsored by KPMG and organized by the Jamaica Squash Association (JSA), witnessed AGI's strong start, reaffirming their status as the team to beat.
AGI made strategic changes to its four-member lineup for the opening night, introducing Fitzroy Smith and Darren Latchman in place of Julian Morrison and Stephan Morrison. The core team members, Dave Morrison and Tahjia Lumley, remained from the previous year, displaying the squad's versatility.
The lineup adjustments proved inconsequential as AGI dominated their opening round matches. All-Jamaica champion, Tahjia Lumley, showcased his prowess in a thrilling battle against Robert Chin of Squashbucklers. Despite the handicap challenges, Lumley emerged victorious in three sets with scores of 21/18, 21/18, and 21/19, setting the tone for AGI's success.
Reflecting on his performance, Lumley expressed satisfaction with the match and acknowledged the added challenge of handicapped scoring. "It was good. I haven't played a handicapped scoring match since last year's finals, so it's obviously different. My handicapped has dropped significantly to minus three points, so everybody that I play this year is gonna be even harder to compete against them," said Lumley.
Dave Morrison continued AGI's winning streak by defeating Alexis Robinson in a hard-fought contest, securing the match with scores of 15/21, 21/17, 23/21, and 21/17. Fitzroy Smith followed suit with a straight-sets victory over Peter Walker with scores of 21/17, 21/15, and 21/19.
Looking ahead, AGI is poised for the next stage of group matches, with Lumley emphasizing the team's focus on navigating each match strategically. The second round matches are set to commence on Tuesday, March 12, at the Liguanea Club and UWI's Senior Common Room, promising more exciting squash action in the ongoing KPMG Jamaica Squash League.
The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and five top running backs have already found new homes.
The Philadelphia Eagles brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard, the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift and the New York Giants landed Devin Singletary.
Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ and Singletary's contracts are unknown.
Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.
The Giants added Singletary after losing Barkley. Singletary played one season with the Houston Texans in 2023 and established a career high with 898 rushing yards after totalling 3,151 yards on the ground with the Buffalo Bills from 2019-22.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019. After agreeing to terms with Jacobs, the Packers informed Aaron Jones that he would be released.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.
Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.
Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a four-year contract, Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney posted on social media Monday.
The deal is worth up to $180million, according to multiple media reports, and includes $100million in guaranteed money.
Cousins, who will turn 36 before the start of this season, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that he sustained in Week 8 last year.
The move ends Cousins’ six-year tenure in Minnesota and leaves the Vikings with serious questions at the quarterback position. Minnesota lost six of their final seven games last season with Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall each getting their turn to start under centre.
"After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Monday.
"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship."
Cousins was selected to three Pro Bowls while in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 50-37-1 record and two play-off appearances.
While the Vikings face uncertainty, the Falcons have found stability at quarterback for the first time since Matt Ryan retired, assuming Cousins makes a full recovery.
Atlanta went 7-10 last season while riding the pendulum between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.
With bright, young talents like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London, the Falcons are hopeful Cousins can lift their offence and help end a six-year play-off drought.
In 150 career games, Cousins has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions.
Castleford head coach Craig Lingard will take the Super League strugglers to his old club Batley in the sixth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.
Lingard, who lamented his side’s “embarrassing” display in Friday’s 50-8 home mauling by Huddersfield, left the Championship outfit to take over at Wheldon Road last year.
And he will be all too aware of the potential to be on the wrong end of another night to forget on the famous sloping pitch at Mount Pleasant.
Elsewhere, Wigan host Sheffield Eagles in a repeat of the 1998 final which saw the Eagles record one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 17-8 win.
Super League giants Leeds and St Helens will clash at Headingley, while holders Leigh start their defence against Championship Featherstone.
Last year’s losing finalists Hull KR play Salford, Warrington meet London Broncos, Huddersfield take on Hull FC and the fourth surviving second-tier side, Halifax, are at home to Catalans Dragons.
Anthony Davis brushed off injury concerns and confidently declared the Los Angeles Lakers are "hitting our stride" after his record-breaking NBA showing against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Lakers man Davis was the star of the show as Los Angeles powered from a fourth-quarter tie to win 120-109 and secure their ninth victory in 13 games.
Davis finished with 27 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, seven steals and three blocks on Sunday, a feat that has never previously been matched.
No other player in NBA history has tallied 25-plus points, 25-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus steals in a single game.
"I think we're hitting our stride right now," Davis said after a roaring finish to a week that also saw the Lakers defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks.
"We're just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it's tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series.
"We like our chances against anybody at that point."
Davis was a doubt for the Minnesota meeting after reporting left-shoulder soreness from a collision with the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo on Friday.
"I felt it at times out there," added Davis, who was in constant dialogue with the Lakers' medical staff whenever not on the court. "I still kind of feel it."
Such was the magnitude of Davis' dominance, LeBron James returning from a sore left ankle to put up 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds was somewhat ignored.
A taming of the Timberwolves, alongside a piece of NBA history, also marked a birthday treat for Davis, who turns 31 on Monday.
"It was before my birthday, so I guess we can [count it]," he continued. "It's actually the first time I'm able to celebrate my birthday in my entire career at home, on my actual birthday."
The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with 16 games remaining, but are just two behind sixth-placed Phoenix Suns, as Austin Reeves insisted Los Angeles will back themselves.
"I think if you go ask anybody in our locker room, we're super confident with what we have," Reeves said.
"Regardless of where we stand, if we go put our best foot forward and play the basketball that we know we can play."
The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and four top running backs have already found new homes.
The Philadelphia Eagles have brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard and the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift.
Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ contract are unknown.
Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.
Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.
One of the top defensive free agents is no longer on the market.
The Las Vegas Raiders are signing Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110million contract, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The deal, which was reported on Monday, includes $84.75million in guaranteed money.
Wilkins had spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins after being selected 13th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, tallying nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits while forcing one fumble.
Among all defensive tackles, Wilkins' 59 QB pressures were fifth most in the NFL.
He has proven to be quite durable, playing in all 17 games in each of the last three seasons and has only missed two games in his career.
With Las Vegas, he'll help bolster a defensive front that is led by Maxx Crosby, who registered a team-high 14 1/2 sacks in 2023.
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