Several familiar faces will return to grand-slam action at the Australian Open after extended breaks.
Injury has unfortunately postponed Rafael Nadal’s slam comeback but fellow former champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber return along with Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the returning players.
Naomi Osaka
Osaka’s opening-round match in Brisbane last week was her first since September 2022. It was last January when the Japanese player revealed she was expecting her first child and would miss the season. Baby Shai arrived in July and the break appears to have given Osaka, who missed major chunks of 2022 because of her mental health, a new perspective and a fresh hunger for the sport. Melbourne Park’s courts suit the 26-year-old well, and the 2019 and 2021 champion will be a name other players will hope to avoid in the draw.
Emma Raducanu
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While not sidelined for as long as Nadal or Osaka, Raducanu has not played a grand-slam match since a second-round loss to Coco Gauff in Melbourne 12 months ago. After battling consistent niggling injuries since her US Open triumph, in May the 21-year-old opted to have surgery on both wrists and one ankle and was not seen on the match court again in 2023. While strong opinions abound regarding Raducanu’s approach to her career, her talent is not in doubt and the biggest question mark remains whether her body can hold up to the rigours of professional tennis.
Angelique Kerber
Tennis fans could have been forgiven for thinking former Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion Kerber had retired. Instead, after being off the tour since Wimbledon 2022 and nearly a year after the birth of daughter Liana, the German is back. Kerber will turn 36 this month and her grand slam winning days are surely behind her but she joins a growing gang of mums on tour.
Marin Cilic
Another veteran on the comeback trail is 35-year-old former US Open champion Cilic. The Croatian, a finalist in Melbourne in 2018, only played two matches in 2023 because of a knee injury.
Amanda Anisimova
A tennis prodigy who reached the French Open semi-finals as a 17-year-old in 2019, Anisimova’s career understandably stalled following the untimely death of her father and coach Konstantin later the same year. In May last year, the American, who is still only 22, announced she was taking an indefinite break from the sport, citing burnout and mental health issues. “I slowed my life down and that’s something that I really needed,” Anisimova told the WTA on her return in Auckland last week.
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper became the third-fastest to 500 wins as Nick Perbix scored 2:02 into overtime in a 3-2 victory over the slumping Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
Scotty Bowman (825) and Bruce Boudreau (837) were the only coaches to reach the milestone faster than Cooper’s 839 games. Cooper is the fastest to do it with one franchise, and 29th overall to get to 500.
Tyler Motte and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, who have traded wins and losses in their past six games.
Perbix ended a 40-game drought with his OT goal and completed Tampa Bay’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the third period.
Phillip Danault and Matt Roy had goals as the Kings lost their sixth straight (0-3-3).
Tkachuk has hat trick to power streaking Panthers
Matthew Tkachuk scored three straight goals in the third period and Anthony Stolarz stopped 28 shots to propel the Florida Panthers to their eighth consecutive win, 5-1 over the St. Louis Blues.
Tkachuk extended Florida’s lead to 3-1 2:18 into the third period and scored again at 5:57 before completing his fifth career hat trick with an empty-net goal.
Sam Reinhart added his team-leading 29th goal for the Panthers, who have outscored opponents 36-15 during the eight-game streak.
Oilers edge Blackhawks for eighth straight win
Connor McDavid snapped a second-period tie and Stuart Skinner turned aside 25 shots as the Edmonton Oilers won their eighth in a row, 2-1 over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Leon Draisaitl had the other goal to give Edmonton its second eight-game winning streak under coach Kris Knoblauch. The Oilers are 16-3-0 in their last 19 games.
Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost six of seven overall and five straight to the Oilers.
Individually and in relay teams, Kito Campbell displayed dominant form in his season opening competition and with time on his side, the future is bright.
In fact, if all goes according to plan for Campbell this season, then an Olympic Games appearance in Paris later this year, could very well be on the cards, especially if he continues his rapid improvements in the breaststroke events, under the guidance of legendary Jamaican swimmer Sion Brinn.
“I'm aiming for the Olympics this year, but I think I'm going to take that one step at a time. I am in collegiate season now, so I just want to focus on being good for college, and then after that, focus on being good for the Olympics,” Campbell told SportsMax.TV.
The former Calabar High standout made the declaration after he smashed his own 50-yard breaststroke record during a season-opening meet, which pitted his Indian River State College against Rochester Institute of Technology and Grand Valley State University.
Campbell, currently in his freshman year, proved too good for rivals, as he stopped the clock in 25.14 seconds. He was almost a second ahead of runner-up Andrew Goh (26.04) of Grand Valley.
That time bettered Campbell’s 25.19 set at the 2022 PST 32nd Speedo Winter Championships, while representing Azura Florida Aquatics. He continues lead the National Junior College Athletic Association rankings in the event.
The 20-year-old completed the sprint breaststroke double when he took the 100-yard event as well. Much like he did in the shorter event, Campbell went out hard and left the field in his wake, as he clocked splits of 25.93 and 29.39 on his way to a final time of 55.32.
Campbell, swimming the breaststroke leg, which he completed in 25.09, earlier assisted his Indian River team to victory in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:30.47. He also placed fifth in the 100-yard individual medley in a new personal best time of 53.19, lowering his previous best of 53.60.
Having firmly established himself as the best Jamaican breaststroke in the yard and Olympic-sized pools, Campbell is now hoping to build on his current momentum, as his coach, Brinn has put structures and strategies in place that have aligned him on the path to success.
“Things have been going well for me so far, I've dropped times in all of my main events for this year and training has been going well. I feel like I'm improving constantly since I've arrived at Indian River, and coach Sean has been really taking me under his wing. I wouldn't say I've improved in strength drastically, but the technical aspect of turns, underwater and dives are just right,” Campbell explained.
Campbell, who has represented Jamaica at numerous championships, to include the Pan American (PanAm) Games, Commonwealth Games and the FINA World Championships, knows that swimming can be a game of centimetres and milliseconds. As such, he admitted that he doesn’t boast too much in the expectations department.
“The details are what I have been fine tuning over the past couple months, and it's been getting better and better. I no longer go into seasons with expectations anymore, I just I race on the day, give of my best and the results will come,” he reasoned.
“But like I said, things are coming together, and I feel really good. I feel like I'm in a really good spot right now and I think the rest of this collegiate season is going to be great for me,” Campbell added.
Still, the former Kaizen Swim Club representative is well aware that it will not all be smooth sailing in the years ahead, as he pushes for longevity in his career, but the hope is to draw on experience to bring his Olympic dream to fruition.
“After the collegiate season, I have a few long course competitions that I'll have to contest, but I'm going to take that one step at a time. I usually don't like to mix too many things in my head, because I don’t want to be focusing on long course times when I'm only swimming short course. So right now, it's collegiate season and after that long course, and then we aim for the Olympics,” Campbell declared.
The Tennessee Titans now have a coaching vacancy after firing Mike Vrabel.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement she spoke with Vrabel on Tuesday to inform him they would be parting ways.
The decision came two days after the Titans pulled off a surprising 28-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that eliminated the Jags from play-off contention, but it wasn't enough to save Vrabel's job as the team finished 6-11 and in last place in the AFC South for the first time since 2015.
"Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan," Strunk said. "As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
Vrabel was hired by Tennessee in January 2018, and led the Titans to a pair of AFC South titles and an appearance in the 2019 AFC conference title game. He was named the 2021 AP Coach of the Year after Tennessee went 12-5 and captured the AFC's top seed.
The following season, the Titans again looked like they would be one of the conference's top contenders after starting the year 7-3, but they ended up losing their final seven games to miss the play-offs for the first time since 2018.
In six seasons as Tennessee's coach, Vrabel went 56-48, including the play-offs.
"I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a premier National Football League franchise. It's what our fans deserve, and there will be hard decisions along the way," Strunk said. "My decision today is not only a reflection of my disappointment in our past two seasons, but also my recognition that further changes are necessary to fully achieve our vision."
Vrabel's firing is expected to be one of several off-season changes for the Titans, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry hitting free agency.
Defending Masters champion Judd Trump held his nerve to summon a match-winning break of 65 and beat Kyren Wilson 6-5 in a fluctuating first round clash at Alexandra Palace.
Trump stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to reel off five frames in a row and put himself on the brink of victory before a costly miss in the penultimate frame handed his opponent the initiative.
Wilson looked set to wrap up victory himself when he got in first in the decider but he left a red dangling over the middle pocket on a break of 51 and two-time winner Trump coolly stepped up to book his place in the last eight.
Trump told Eurosport: “It was a bit of a scrappy game and it was nip and tuck the whole way through.
“I felt like I threw it away at 5-4. Kyren made an amazing break to go 5-5 and it looked like he would get over the line but he just left that little gap and I took it quite well.”
Breaks of 65 and 76, as well as a superb clearance of 34 to the pink after Trump’s 58 in frame three, helped Wilson race into a 3-0 lead.
Contributions of 42 and 52 saw Trump finally get on the scoreboard before the mid-session interval and the former world champion then got back on level terms with breaks of 101 and 83.
Trump won the seventh frame to edge in front for the first time and also took the next, a scrappy affair which lasted 40 minutes, to lead 5-3, only for Wilson to edge a tense ninth frame to keep the match alive.
Wilson drew level after a brave long red sparked a frame-winning clearance of 58, but he could not repeat the feat when it mattered enabling Trump to sink the final black to get over the line.
Rugby player Api Ratuniyarawa has been jailed for nearly three years after admitting sexually assaulting three teenagers in a bar days before he was due to play for the Barbarians.
The 37-year-old Fiji international had been in Cardiff ahead of the game against Wales last autumn when he attacked the three young women inside the VIP area of the city centre Revolution bar.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Ratuniyarawa went to the bar on three consecutive nights with his team-mates and on each occasion while drunk assaulted a victim.
Heath Edwards, prosecuting, told the court: “On November 4 the Barbarians played Wales at the Principality Stadium.
“The defendant had been selected to play for the Barbarians and together with the rest of his team-mates had attended Cardiff in the week before the game to attend media commitments and training for the fixture.
“The defendant appears to have spent many of his nights socialising in Cardiff in advance of the game.
“The defendant has repeatedly attended the Revolution bar on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights of the week in run-up to the fixture.
“On each of those occasions, of those visits, he sexually assaulted a different lady in the VIP area of the bar.”
At a previous hearing Ratuniyarawa pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by penetration and one charge of sexual assault.
Ratuniyarawa, of The Orchard, Kislingbury, Northamptonshire, denied two further charges of sexual assault relating to one of the three women and those charges were ordered to lie on file.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, The Recorder of Cardiff, jailed Ratuniyarawa for two years and 10 months.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a three-year restraining order against one of his victims.
Passing sentence, the judge said: “I bear in mind the proposed starting points and ranges take into account the inevitable trauma of such offences.
“All the offences are aggravated because you were under the influence of alcohol and I bear in mind physical injury was caused as well as the psychological injury that was caused on all three occasions.
“For all three offences I note you stopped only because others intervened.
“On the other hand you are a man with no previous convictions and you are of positive good character and I accept that the remorse and shame you feel is genuine and I bear in mind the steps you have taken to address the cause of this behaviour.”
The father-of-four, who has also played for Northampton Saints and in France, has been without a club since Premiership club London Irish went into receivership in the summer, the court has previously heard.
He was hoping his appearance for the Barbarians invitational side would lead to winning a new playing contract but has since been forced to apply for benefits.
In victim impact statements, the three victims described the traumatic effects the assaults have had on their lives.
One said: “My attack came out of the blue and it was sudden, shocking and very, very painful and I felt degraded, embarrassed and humiliated. I still do.
“It was such a personal and painful violation.
“I feel anxious and upset when thinking about what happened and I can’t sleep at night without seeing my attacker’s face.”
Another said: “You took away my independence, my self-worth, and my confidence.
“There are moments that I can’t help think that if I didn’t go out that night, if I didn’t dress up like I did and if I didn’t drink any alcohol, if I didn’t go into this area it wouldn’t have happened.
“I wouldn’t have to be reminded of it every single day.
“The main reason for coming forward was to stop this from happening to other people.”
Ruth Smith, defending, said Ratuniyarawa had asked her to apologise to each of the three victims.
“It is with his deepest remorseful heart that he wants to convey how sorry he is with his actions the pain and damage he has caused to the victims and the shame he has brought to himself and his family,” she said.
“It is clear from watching the CCTV that the consumption of alcohol by the defendant was a highly significant factor in how the defendant came to act on the dates of these offences.
“The consumption of alcohol in these quantities was completely out of character.”
England prop Joe Marler has been ruled out of Harlequins’ Investec Champions Cup clash against Cardiff as his arm injury continues to be assessed.
It comes amid front-row concerns for England head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the Guinness Six Nations.
Marler’s fellow loosehead props Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd, Mako Vunipola and Val Rapava-Ruskin are also on the sidelines.
Borthwick’s problems include a four-match ban being imposed on Saracens’ Vunipola, who was sent off for a dangerous tackle against Premiership opponents Newcastle.
Although he will be available if required for the Six Nations, experienced campaigner Vunipola cannot play again until after Saracens’ Premiership appointment with Exeter, which is only a week before England’s Six Nations opener against Italy on February 3.
Genge, an England captaincy contender following Owen Farrell’s decision to miss the Six Nations, last featured for his club Bristol on December 2. He has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Sale forward Rodd is out for the rest of this season after undergoing toe surgery and Gloucester’s Rapava-Ruskin, who was part of England’s World Cup training squad last year, is another long-term absentee following a knee operation.
On the 88-cap Marler, who was hurt during Quins’ victory over Gloucester 10 days ago, the club’s head coach Danny Wilson said: “There is still a little bit of assessment going on.
“Joe is a week-by-week process at the moment to make a full assessment of the time period and the time-frame.
“He is not going to play this weekend – that is pretty clear – but what I can’t give is a time-frame. There have been a few twists and turns with it.
“We are kind of in the middle of a full assessment.
“I know that is going to sound a little bit like it is taking a while to assess, but there is a little bit to this one so I am probably not really going to be able to give you much.
“Until we get a full picture and a full time-frame, and we are in that process at the moment, then I can’t really tell you a huge amount.”
John McConnell will work backwards with Mahler Mission from his ultimate aim of the Grand National at Aintree in the spring.
The eight-year-old was last seen finishing a gallant second in the Coral Gold Cup, missing out by three and three-quarter lengths after losing both shoes during the three-mile two-furlong trip around Newbury.
The Grand National was mentioned in the aftermath of that race, with the gelding usually a fluent jumper who looked poised to triumph in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last year until falling at the penultimate fence, having pulled four lengths clear.
Connections have now decided to pursue the Aintree aim and Mahler Mission may even have a start over hurdles to protect his mark of 155 ahead of the marathon contest.
“He’s in good form, he had a good break after the Coral and he’s back riding out now,” said McConnell.
“It was a good race, horses have won out of it since and we were very, very happy on the day. Hopefully, there’s a bit more to come.
“Hopefully, we’ll get a clear run with him; he’ll miss Cheltenham and the target will be the National.
“He should be on a nice racing weight, it’s the Grand National and we could get him there and then anything could happen on the day, but he’s entitled to take his chance.
“He ticks a lot of the boxes for the race, he’s still a relatively young horse and he’d certainly be worth his place in the field.
“We’ve not got a plan yet, I’d have to sit down and try and find a race for him before and see what there is about.
“It wouldn’t bother us if we went back over hurdles, that’s definitely an option.”
Blow Your Wad looks set to return to Kempton for the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase on February 24.
Tom Lacey’s six-year-old won a decent handicap at the track over Christmas, having previously chased home a subsequent Grade One winner in Le Patron.
The Grade Two Pendil over two and a half miles has been dominated by Paul Nicholls in recent years, with the champion trainer responsible for 13 winners in all since 2006, but Lacey feels Blow Your Wad could potentially be one of the best he has trained.
“We are potentially going to go back to Kempton for the Pendil Novices’ Chase next month. It is just so competitive at Cheltenham that you could go to the Pendil, miss Cheltenham, then go to Aintree,” said Lacey.
“He is not a horse that I want to over-race, as he is still relatively young. He has only had two runs over fences so far but he is a good horse with plenty of progression to come.
“His jumping was outstanding at Kempton the last day. To be honest, it wasn’t until they were turning in that I saw him coming through, as he was very much on and off the bridle.
“He is a horse that is not hard on himself and he is an exciting prospect. He is potentially one of the nicest horses I’ve ever had come through the yard.”
Stablemate Tea Clipper could be going hunter chasing and looks like another with Aintree, rather than Cheltenham, as his ultimate aim.
“After having a discussion, we are going to go hunter chasing with him. He is getting older and he has been running around in those big staying handicaps without winning one. If we could get his head back in front, it might give him some confidence,” said Lacey.
“I think he is more potentially an Aintree horse, as I’m not sure he would get that extended three and a quarter miles around Cheltenham, although he has finished fourth in an Ultima there over slightly shorter.
“After Aintree, you could look at the hunter chase meeting back at Cheltenham for him. We have always got the option of going back in those types of races he has been running in if we want to. He does deserve to get his head back in front, as he has run some great races in defeat.”
The Jamaica Hockey Federation has named a 10-man squad for Jamaica’s historic first ever Hockey 5s World Cup campaign.
Jamaica booked a spot in the 2024 Hockey 5s World Cup when they finished third in the Hockey 5s Pan American Cup held in Kingston in June.
The World Cup is set for January 28-31 in Muscat, Oman.
Jamaica will compete in Pool B alongside India, Egypt and Switzerland.
Their first game will be against Switzerland on January 28.
The squad is as follows: Ajani Burton-GK (Captain), Richard Harris (Co-Captain), Christopher Reid (Co-Captain), Tyrone Vernon, Rasheed Johnston-GK, George McGlashen, Shemar Gordon, Kemar Mitchell, Tuseef Graham, Daniel Powell.
Reserves: Phillip Dawson, Nickoy Stephenson, Kevaun Reid, Kevon Reid, Jachin Mullings
The Jockey Club has pledged to provide greater transparency over its business performance as it announced prize-money will top £60million across its 15 racecourses for the first time this year.
A total of 39 ‘transparency meetings’ with 120 industry individuals to explain the Jockey Club’s business performance, prize-money, media rights and investment plans have been held over the last two and a half years
The operator says it will be “extending its commitment to openness” by providing more information to the Thoroughbred Group from 2024 onwards, including figures relating to individual racecourse media rights and other revenues, as well as disclosing other factors which impact decisions on prize-money and other investment plans.
Chief executive Nevin Truesdale said: “It’s really important to us at the Jockey Club to continue to be transparent in sharing details of our business performance with industry participants and stakeholders.
“By agreeing to extend this commitment to provide the Thoroughbred Group with more information around our revenues and costs, we are seeking to drive critical industry collaboration to work together to grow the sport, while also providing a clearer picture of the challenges we face as a racecourse operator.”
Julian Richmond-Watson is chair of the Thoroughbred Group, which represents the industry’s owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and breeders.
He said: “The Thoroughbred Group welcomes the Jockey Club’s further commitment to the sharing of financial information, which will now be provided on a more extensive basis than previously received.
“This enhanced visibility will allow us to focus on working together to grow the sport’s revenues and, in turn, increase the prize-money levels upon which our participants rely.”
National Trainers’ Federation chief executive Paul Johnson added: “We believe that this is an enormously important step in being able to agree commercial partnerships with racecourses, something that we see as a foundation stone for working together to improve the sport’s future.”
An overall prize-money total of £60.1m will be offered across the 334 fixtures due to be staged this year by the Jockey Club, whose courses include Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom and Newmarket.
This reflects a £31.8m executive contribution – the amount the organisation puts in from its own funds – with values for specific races and fixtures confirmed in due course.
The Jockey Club has also budgeted to spend £11.7m over the next 12 months on upgrades to its racecourses, which includes investment into improving racing surfaces, equine facilities and welfare standards.
Truesdale added: “Given the unprecedented financial headwinds the horseracing industry is currently facing, we are pleased to be able to announce today that the Jockey Club’s executive contribution to prize money will be increased to £31.8million in 2024, taking our overall prize-money past the £60million mark for the first time.
“Our mission is to power racing’s future and to ensure that our sport thrives for generations to come. That would not be possible without our participants and all those whose jobs not only help British racing prosper but rely on the industry.
“So, while we continue to take important steps to improve our business efficiency in the face of significant and unprecedented economic challenges, there is also an ongoing focus on investing across our estate and in participants, which includes a commitment to prize-money.
“This has led us to some very difficult decisions in our financial planning for 2024 and we are pleased to be able to deliver an increase in prize-money investment in these very challenging circumstances.
“In addition to prize-money, the Jockey Club will continue to invest in many other areas of the sport, including equine welfare and improving the raceday experience for participants, owners and racegoers.
“We hope that by doing so, we will drive engagement, expand our fan base and increase attendances for the good of the sport.”
Doncaster clerk of the course Paul Barker is confident Wednesday’s meeting will go ahead if the weather forecast is accurate.
There was a slight grass frost on Tuesday morning and with similar temperatures forecast overnight, a precautionary inspection has been called for 8am.
However, Barker reports the course to have been frost-free by 10am on Tuesday and as long as the weather does not differ widely from what is expected, no problems are anticipated.
“We were raceable by 10am today after being a little bit crispy this morning. The forecast is pretty similar for tonight, although it is due to get cooler earlier tonight,” said Barker.
“Because this morning was a little crispy, we felt it was only right that we called an inspection but if the forecast is right, we should be OK.
“We’ve got some really good fields which is great to see. We had a relatively good mid-December fixture and were a little bit quieter on the 29th.
“It’s bizarre really as this fixture did exactly the same last year, we had 90 runners then, so it is obviously one that works really well.”
There is also a precautionary 8am inspection for Wednesday’s other jumps card at Leicester.
“It just depends on the forecast. We’re hoping it clouds over to keep the temperatures up, but it went down to -3C last night and it’s taken a bit of shifting,” said clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson.
“I wouldn’t want it as cold tomorrow but it is not forecast to be, so that is what we are hoping for. We won’t know until the morning, though.
“Today was supposed to be the coldest day, so that is what we are hoping for.”
Julie Harrington, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, says a judgement on the success of Premier Racedays and Sunday evening racing should not be made overnight.
The first of 170 Premier Racedays planned for 2024 was staged at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, while Wolverhampton created a slice of history when becoming the first track to race in the UK on Sunday night.
While both schemes have come in for criticism in some quarters, Harrington is keen to assess all of the relevant data relating to the six trial Sunday evening fixtures and the two-year pilot of Premier Racedays before making any snap decisions.
“Premier Racedays were introduced this year to showcase the best our sport can offer to new and existing fans as part of a broader strategy to grow British racing,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.
“And while this concept will see a gradual roll-out, with innovations and enhancements to the customer experience delivered throughout the year, it has been heartening to see the positive initial response to Premier racing from the public, racecourses and participants.
“There were high-quality runners at Plumpton on Sunday, with races taking place in front of healthy and engaged crowds. And of course, the year began with a big crowd at Cheltenham enjoying quality racing at our first Premier fixture.
“The 170 Premier Racedays planned for 2024 reflect a significant investment by the sport. These are fixtures proposed by the racecourses which meet strict criteria, including around prize-money and race quality. We should be encouraged that so many racecourses want to invest in and stage these Premier events.
“We will also see more promotional work and, we hope, an HBLB-funded national campaign to support the work already being done by GBR and the racecourses.
“Ultimately, the objective is to encourage more, better-quality horses to be bred, trained, owned and raced in Britain. The sport has agreed that putting on high-quality, valuable racing is the way to achieve this.
“We must accept that this will not happen overnight. But we have made a start on creating and developing an attractive product to secure a long-term future for the sport by encouraging greater engagement with it. Time and experience will help us determine the optimum number of Premier Racedays with regards to racecourses and the horse population.”
She added: “This is the start of a two-year pilot and so we should resist the temptation to make snap judgements on its success based on limited experience. Throughout the pilot we will learn what does and does not work, how we can best package and promote Premier Racedays and ultimately achieve growth that will benefit all levels of the sport.
“Alongside Premier Racedays we also started the trial of Sunday evening racing at Wolverhampton. This saw good prize-money on offer to healthy field sizes meaning competitive racing was taking place in a window we believe affords us an opportunity to grow engagement with the sport.
“Clearly there are a range of views regarding this pilot and we respect those opinions. For this reason, the financial performance of these fixtures will be far from the only measure of their viability; we will continue to seek the views of all those involved in servicing such meetings and this feedback will form a core part of the ultimate assessment of the pilot.”
National Hunt superstar Constitution Hill heads 22 entries for the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten charge was a nine-length winner of the hurdles highlight at Prestbury Park last year, one of his eight victories under rules to date.
Constitution Hill is already long odds-on for a repeat on March 12, having made a faultless return in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The Willie Mullins-trained State Man chased him home last year and he is among seven contenders for the trainer this time around.
Lossiemouth, winner of the Triumph Hurdle last term, features in the Closutton squad along with 2023 Champion Hurdle fourth Vauban, Echoes In Rain, Gala Marceau, Impaire Et Passe and Zarak The Brave.
Zanahiyr was third behind Constitution Hill 12 months ago and he has been entered by Gordon Elliott, with stablemates Irish Point and Pied Piper also on the list.
Henderson has alternates in First Street, Under Control and Luccia, while four-year-old Burdett Road is an intriguing entry for James Owen.
Harry Fry’s Love Envoi, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger and popular veteran Not So Sleepy are others of note.
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle takes place on the same day as the Champion Hurdle and Lossiemouth, Echoes In Rain, Gala Marceau, Love Envoi and Luccia are all entered for that Grade One.
Ashroe Diamond, Magical Zoe and Jetara are others towards the head of the betting, with Jamie Snowden’s You Wear It Well looking for a second Festival win after taking the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last term.
A total of 25 have been entered for that race – a number which is surpassed by the 36 initial contenders for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.
Run on March 14, the three-mile contest has a clutch of previous winners in the potential line-up, with Elliott’s 2023 hero Sire Du Berlais, Gavin Cromwell’s dual victor Flooring Porter and 2019 winner Paisley Park all potentially coming back for more.
Teahupoo and Irish Point are other key contenders for Elliott, with potential French raider Theleme prominent in the betting having won an Auteuil Grade One in November.
Crambo and Sir Gerhard are in the mix, with the Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor an interesting possible after a couple of disappointing chase starts this term.
Harriet Graham has confirmed Aye Right an intended runner in Saturday’s rearranged Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase Final at Warwick but is a little disheartened the prize-money has been reduced.
The original race was due to be run for £100,000 at Sandown last weekend, when it would have been the feature race, but that meeting was abandoned through waterlogging.
This Saturday, the race will take place at Warwick, like Sandown owned by Jockey Club Racecourses, but the total prize fund is down to £75,000.
“He’s still in and the plan is to go, hopefully the weather doesn’t intervene again,” said Graham, who trains Aye Right in partnership with Gary Rutherford.
“I’m a little bit put off that they’ve managed to knock £25,000 off the prize fund. This race will probably have 14 runners and nearly every horse will have a story behind it. We’ve all run in races to get there.
“I know it is really hard to reschedule races and I know everybody at the BHA works really hard to do it, but it just seems a wee bit cheap. That’s just my feelings, it maybe doesn’t matter to the big trainers and owners.
“It’s a bit like Premierisation, it’s awful for small trainers and awful for small racecourses. They are taking the money from the poor to give to the rich. It’s Robin Hood the wrong way round.
“I know the Jockey Club have two Premier meetings on Saturday, with Kempton and Warwick with really decent prize-money, but to me it just seems a bit cheap to take money off what is a Final.
“These horses have provided entertainment for the last six or seven years, a little recognition would have been the right thing to do.
“I am pleased it’s on, we plan to go and hopefully the weather doesn’t spoil it again.”
Aye Right is once more likely to meet Good Boy Bobby, the two fought out the finish to the 2021 Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle and the seventh leg of the Veterans’ Series in October at Chepstow, securing a narrow success apiece.
Thomas Darby, Two For Gold, Sam Brown, Mill Green, Ramses de Teillee and Lord Du Mesnil are among 16 entries.
The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to former Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back JPR Williams.
William, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, posted a personal post – denoted with a W at the end of his message – in honour of Williams, who has died at the age of 74.
The prince said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “There was no one quite like him on the rugby field. A true @WelshRugbyUnion great, my thoughts are with JPR Williams’ family and friends. W.”
Williams, a fearless player known for his aggressive and attacking style, won 55 Wales caps and started all eight Tests on victorious Lions tours to New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa three years later.
He was revered among fellow Wales greats like Sir Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Phil Bennett and Gerald Davies and regarded as one of rugby union’s finest players.
A star performer during Welsh rugby’s 1970s golden era, he also captained his country on five occasions.
And Williams shone for the Barbarians in their unforgettable 23-11 victory over New Zealand in 1973, touching down in a game chiefly remembered for Edwards’ spectacular touchdown that completed a breathtaking length-of-the-field move.
Welsh Rugby Union president Terry Cobner, who played alongside Williams for Wales during two Five Nations Grand Slam-winning campaigns, saluted his contribution to the sport.
“Welsh rugby will remember him as one of our greatest players of all-time – those 55 caps, three Grand Slams and six Triple Crowns prove that,” Cobner said, on the WRU’s official website.
“He also played in all eight Tests in New Zealand and South Africa on arguably the two greatest tours undertaken by the Lions in 1971 and 1974.
“It was his drop-goal from near halfway that enabled the 1971 Lions to draw the fourth Test and win the series 2-1 against the mighty All Blacks – the only series victory by the Lions on New Zealand soil.
“A star in the making from his early school days at Bridgend Grammar, then at Millfield, he went on to thrill crowds at both London Welsh and Bridgend on the club scene. He was ‘box office’ wherever he went.
“This is a terrible loss for our game, but obviously an even worse loss for his wife, Scilla, and their three four children.
“The thoughts of the whole Welsh rugby family are with them at this difficult time.”
There were also tributes on social media from Wales’ Six Nations rivals Scotland and Ireland.
“JPR, the three most famous letters in sport if you lived in the 1970s,” Scottish Rugby said on X.
“Scottish Rugby extends its sincere condolences to family and friends of JPR Williams – and the rugby community in Wales – after the death of the former Wales and Lions full-back was announced yesterday.”
And Irish Rugby said on X: “A joy to watch on the field and a gentleman off it. Rest in peace JPR Williams.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.”
Such was Williams’ natural fitness that he continued playing into his early 50s for village club Tondu, often in the back-row, before finally hanging up his boots in 2003.
“We are devastated to share the news our club patron JPR Williams has passed away,” Tondu Rugby Club said on X.
“John was one of our game’s greatest players and will be missed by all at Tondu RFC. Our thoughts and prayers are with John’s family and close friends at this incredibly sad time.”
Tom Cannon is optimistic the step up in trip will help Edwardstone return to winning ways in Saturday’s Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton.
In two outings this season over two miles, Alan King’s charge has been no match for Jonbon but he did get appreciably closer to him in the Tingle Creek than on his seasonal reappearance in the Shloer Chase.
Saturday will be the 10-year-old’s first run over two and a half miles since a hurdles effort back in April 2021, but Cannon feels it is the right move.
“I think it is a logical move, as Edwardstone is not getting younger and now is as good a time as ever to step him up in trip,” he said.
“Although he has not run over this distance over fences, he ran well over two and a half miles over hurdles when he was third at Aintree (in 2021).
“We are going back to slightly calmer waters having run in the Tingle Creek last time, but there are still some good horses in this race.
“It is still a competitive race, so he will have to be at his best to win.
“All his best runs have been around Sandown and he definitely improved for the run at Cheltenham in the Tingle Creek.
“I was more than happy with his run. It was as good a run as he had put in for a long time.”
Cannon went on: “He felt back to his best and, fingers crossed, he can continue that form going forwards.
“He has not been over-raced and he has been well managed throughout his career, which has been a big help.
“He had a jump last Thursday at home and he jumped very well, so there is no problem in that department. He seemed fresh and very well, so I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Lucinda Russell’s Giovinco has Sandown and Cheltenham options after pulling up in the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The seven-year-old claimed his first win over fences at Aintree in November and then chased home Paul Nicholls’ useful Stay Away Fay in the Grade Two Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown next time out.
He was subsequently entered in the Kauto Star, a Grade One run over the same trip of three miles, but under Stephen Mulqueen he never seemed to hit his stride and was eventually pulled up as Il Est Francais went on to win impressively.
There was less than three weeks between the gelding’s last two runs, a time-span Russell suspects may have been too short with hindsight.
The Scilly Isles at Sandown and the Festival Trials Day card at Cheltenham could now appear on Giovinco’s agenda, both of which would involve a step down to the near two-and-a-half-mile trip he was successful over twice as a hurdler.
“He might go to Sandown, we’ve got a couple of options with him,” said Russell.
“We might even go to Cheltenham and go over two miles four (furlongs) there.
“He was quite tired after Kempton and we felt, in hindsight, we’d gone to the well just a bit too quickly with him.
“He seems well now, he had a quiet time over the New Year and he’s back to being his usual self again.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo insisted the Milwaukee Bucks must take criticism from fans on the chin after they lost for a fourth time in the space of five games.
The Bucks went down 132-116 to the Utah Jazz on Monday, as their January slump continued.
Milwaukee fans were far from happy with their team's display, as boos and jeers rang out following the defeat.
Despite finishing with a triple-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, Antetokounmpo was unimpressed with his performance.
"I think we have great fans, but around the league, if you don't play hard and don't give everything for the team, there are times where you might get booed," he said.
"S***, I'd boo myself tonight too."
The only way forward for the Bucks now is to be unified, Antetokounmpo added.
He said: "You've got to stay together, that's it.
"If you try to go your way or do it yourself, it's not going to work.
"We've been in this position before. It's OK to be in this position, but then again, at the end of the day, we have to get better.
"We have to realise that we have to keep on doing the little things."
The Jazz ran away at the start of the fourth quarter, opening up a 15-point lead that the Bucks were unable to overturn despite a late rally.
"We flipped it a little bit as far as our energy and effort, and we made it a ballgame, but in the NBA you just can't dig yourself in a hole like that," Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said.
"And then you've got to play extremely hard and exert a lot of energy just to try to get back into the game."
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