Cade Cunningham has faith the Detroit Pistons can turn their form around after a 25th successive loss saw them close in on an unwanted NBA record.
The Pistons went down 119-111 to the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday.
That means Detroit are just one defeat away from matching the single-season record for consecutive losses, which is shared by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, while the latter hold the outright record for successive defeats, having lost 28 straight games across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Cunningham, though, believes the Pistons still have the quality to turn matters around.
"We're not 2-26 bad, no way are we that bad," said Cunningham, who finished with a double-double of 28 points and 10 assists.
"I think we can turn this around. We can play a much better brand of basketball.
"We had a chance to win it down the stretch, and we just weren't solid enough.
"This is history no one wants to be a part of."
While Cunningham was upbeat ahead of Saturday's meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, coach Monty Williams had to hold his tongue.
"I want to be careful with my words, because this one hurts more than most of them," Williams said.
"A team that played last night got [50] points off turnovers and rebounds. It is unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories."
Jazz coach Will Hardy, meanwhile, hailed a big win for his team, who were without four of their top seven scorers.
Hardy said: "That's a really, really good team win for us. That's a hard game to play, second night of a back-to-back on the road with a bunch of guys out."
Anthony Davis labelled Saturday's clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a "must win" for the skidding Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers lost for a fourth straight game as they went down 118-111 at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
Their record since winning the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament is now 1-5.
And while there were green shoots of recovery against the Timberwolves, Davis knows the skid has to stop.
"It's the NBA season. There's going to be ups, there's going to be downs. Right now we're in that down period," said Davis, who finished with 31 points and eight rebounds.
"We've just got to continue to fight and continue to play hard. Play with some effort, some energy and we're treating Saturday as a must win.
"We've got to still buckle down and find ways to get wins.
"So after 30 [games], I think it's still tough to assess, but we know what we can be. We've shown what we can be. And we've shown that if we don't do the things we need to do to be successful then we're going to continue to be on this side of our record, which is losing."
The Lakers were without LeBron James, though the veteran is expected to be fit to face the Thunder, who are second in the Western Conference and beat the other Los Angeles team – the Clippers – on Thursday.
That snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Clippers, who lost 134-115.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points while Chet Holmgren nailed an innovative dunk off the backboard to propel the Thunder to a third straight win.
James Harden and Paul George chipped in with 23 points and 22 points respectively for the Clippers, who were without talisman Kawhi Leonard.
"Obviously, they’re a super talented group," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Clippers. "A bunch Hall of Famers over there, and we knew what the task was waking up this morning."
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged: "They did a good job of just attacking us.
"We couldn't get back, we couldn't get set, we couldn't get matched, and they took advantage of that early."
Teenager Luke Littler continued his dream PDC World Championship debut by defeating Andrew Gilding to reach the third round.
The 16-year-old was the toast of Alexandra Palace after beating Christian Kist on Wednesday and he was at it again 24 hours later with a 3-1 success against 20th seed Gilding.
The UK Open champion is 37 years older than Littler but it was the youngster showing the greater composure in the first two sets, with Gilding twice missing a pair of darts at double in the second.
Littler suffered a blip in the third but Gilding was unable to take his opportunities and the teenager clinched a spot in the last 32 against Matt Campbell.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler said: “When I went 2-0 up, I lost all my energy. When Andrew got the set back I was just thinking, ‘Just try and win it’, because I don’t want to go 2-2 on this stage. I was nervous as it is. I don’t know how I got over the line but I’ve done it.”
Scott Williams came agonisingly close to a nine-dart finish in a comprehensive 3-0 upset of seventh seed Danny Noppert while German Gabriel Clemens, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1.
The night finished with Australian 10th seed Damon Heta battling to a 3-1 victory over an out-of-sorts Martin Lukeman.
Earlier, former champion Rob Cross secured his spot in the third round with an unconvincing 3-0 win over Thibault Tricole.
Cross had reached the final of the Grand Slam of Darts last month but was not at his best against an opponent gripped by nerves.
Tricole missed 13 attempts at double during an error-strewn first set and, while he improved to go two legs up in the next set, Cross was able to fight back to show his class with an excellent 114 checkout to move 2-0 up.
It broke the resistance of French thrower and the eighth seed and 2018 winner Cross was able to breeze through the third set to ensure he will return after Christmas.
Zong Ziao Chen started day seven proceedings with a 180 from his first three darts and produced a superb 128 bullseye checkout in the next leg, but Mickey Mansell proved too strong and booked his place in round two.
Mansell won 3-0 and averaged 89.94 to set up a second-round meeting with fellow Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan on Friday.
In the final round one clash of the Championships, debutant Berry van Peer caused an upset to knock out Englishman Luke Woodhouse 3-2.
Woodhouse landed six maximums but lost out to Dutchman Van Peer in a high-quality encounter.
Van Peer was making his first appearance at Alexandra Palace after coming back from struggles with dartitis and was able to regroup impressively after he missed two match darts at 2-1 up before he landed double 10 in the decider to become the last player into round two.
Number 32 seed Madars Razma set up a third-round clash with defending champion Michael Smith after a 3-1 win over Mike de Decker.
Nathan MacKinnon notched the first four-goal game in Avalanche history and extended his point streak to 17 games Thursday as Colorado rallied for a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators.
MacKinnon opened the scoring 2:43 into the game and tallied again with 1:32 left in the first period for his 300th career goal.
He completed his hat trick at 6:16 of the third period to lift the Avs into a 4-4 tie and scored into an empty net with 23 seconds left.
MacKinnon has 12 goals and 21 assists during his 17-game streak, the longest of his career.
Mikko Rantanen had a pair of power-play goals and Cale Makar had two assists in his return from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for three games.
Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist as the Senators lost their sixth in a row, the last two coming under interim coach Jacques Martin, who replaced the fired D.J. Smith on Monday.
Sabres respond with rout of Maple Leafs
Jeff Skinner returned from a three-game absence with two goals and an assist and the Buffalo Sabres responded to their worst loss of the season with a 9-3 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists and captain Kyle Okposo scored twice for the Sabres, who were coming off a 9-4 loss to Columbus on Tuesday, when the team was booed off the ice.
Rookie Devon Levi shook off allowing Auston Matthews’ league-leading 26th goal in the first period from a bad angle to stop 25 shots. He improved to 4-1-1 in his past six appearances.
Ilya Samsonov surrendered five goals on 19 shots before he was replaced in the second period by Martin Jones, who allowed four goals on 16 shots.
Toronto has allowed 14 goals in consecutive losses following a nine-game point streak.
Ovechkin ends drought in Capitals’ win
Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal in 15 games on a power play with 53 seconds left in overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ovechkin’s sixth goal of the season and 828th of his career was his first since Nov. 18 and his 26th in overtime, extending his NHL record. It was also his 125th game-winner overall, second in league history behind Jaromir Jagr’s 135.
Anthony Mantha scored twice and John Carlson had three assists as Washington won its third straight.
The Detroit Pistons suffered their 25th straight loss – one short of the NBA single season record – as Kelly Olynyk scored 25 points to lead the short-handed Utah Jazz to a 119-111 victory on Thursday.
Detroit missed nine of 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and was 9 of 31 overall from long range as it remained winless since Oct. 28.
The 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers share the record at 26, which the Pistons will try to avoid Saturday in Brooklyn. The 76ers hold the overall mark of 28, a skid that started in 2014-15 and carried over into 2015-16.
Collin Sexton scored 19 points and Ochai Agbaji added 18 for the Jazz, who played without four of their top seven scorers – Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker – on the second night of a back-to-back after losing at Cleveland on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo propels Bucks to 6th straight win
Giannis Antetokoumpo tallied 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks completed a perfect six-game homestand with a 118-114 win over the Orlando Magic.
Damian Lillard added 24 points and eight assists for the Bucks, who have won 15 straight games at Fiserv Forum. That’s the Bucks’ longest single-season home win streak since they opened 18-0 at home in 1991-92.
Franz Wagner scored 29 points and Paolo Banchero had 23 for the Magic, who have lost four in a row.
Thunder snap Clippers’ 9-game streak
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 31 points and Chet Holmgren gave the Thunder the lead for good with a dunk he threw off the backboard to himself, and Oklahoma City ended the Los Angeles Clippers’ nine-game winning streak, 134-115.
Holmgren’s flashy jam with 8:43 left in the third quarter gave the Thunder a 74-73 lead and sparked a decisive 13-0 run.
Holmgren finished with 23 points and Lu Dort added 21 for Oklahoma City, which has won three straight and five of six.
James Harden scored 23 points and Paul George had 22 for the Clippers, who played without leading scorer Kawhi Leonard due to a bruised right hip.
A stellar showing from wide receiver Puka Nacua propelled the Los Angeles Rams to a 30-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
The 22-year-old had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards to go along with a touchdown.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was almost as impressive, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover in the eight-point win.
After taking a 17-7 lead into the break, the Rams looked to be coasting to the finish line when a field goal and a rushing touchdown to Kyren Williams stretched their advantage to 20 points.
That quickly became 23 thanks to a Lucas Havrisik field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.
But New Orleans mounted a late charge, touchdowns to Juwan Johnson and AT Perry closing the gap to eight with just under four minutes left.
Despite the momentum shift, Los Angeles’ defence was ultimately able to compose itself and hold on for the Rams’ eighth win of the season.
New Orleans’ quarterback Derek Carr finished with three touchdowns and one interception as the Saints’ record fell to 7-8.
The Los Angeles Dodgers landed the prize of the free-agent market Thursday night, reportedly agreeing with Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a record 12-year, $325 million deal.
The deal comes after Yamamoto was posted and made available to MLB teams in November. The Dodgers paid a $50.6 million posting fee to sign Yamamoto, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Yamamoto, 25, is considered a frontline starter and leaves Japan as the most decorated pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history.
He made his debut with Orix Buffaloes at age 18 and went on to record a 1.82 ERA in a seven-year career.
Yamamoto won the pitching Triple Crown last season, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He went 49-16 with a 1.44 ERA and 580 strikeouts over the last three seasons, winning Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young each year.
He is the first player since Ichiro Suzuki to win three straight MVPs in the NPB and only the second pitcher ever to win three, after Hisashi Yamada.
His contract is the largest for a pitcher in MLB history, topping the nine-year, $324 million deal Gerrit Cole signed with the Yankees in 2019.
Yamamoto’s record deal comes after the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal, but unlike that contract, Yamamoto’s reportedly does not contain any deferrals. It does have a reported $50 million signing bonus.
Teenager Luke Littler continued his dream PDC World Championship debut by defeating Andrew Gilding to reach the third round.
The 16-year-old was the toast of Alexandra Palace after beating Christian Kist on Wednesday and he was at it again 24 hours later with a 3-1 success against 20th seed Gilding.
The UK Open champion is 37 years older than Littler but it was the youngster showing the greater composure in the first two sets, with Gilding twice missing a pair of darts at double in the second.
Littler suffered a blip in the third but Gilding was unable to take his opportunities and the teenager clinched a spot in the last 32 against Matt Campbell.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler said: “When I went 2-0 up, I lost all my energy. When Andrew got the set back I was just thinking, ‘Just try and win it’, because I don’t want to go 2-2 on this stage. I was nervous as it is. I don’t know how I got over the line but I’ve done it.”
Scott Williams came agonisingly close to a nine-dart finish in a comprehensive 3-0 upset of seventh seed Danny Noppert while German Gabriel Clemens, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1.
The night finished with Australian 10th seed Damon Heta battling to a 3-1 victory over an out-of-sorts Martin Lukeman.
Earlier, former champion Rob Cross secured his spot in the third round with an unconvincing 3-0 win over Thibault Tricole.
Cross had reached the final of the Grand Slam of Darts last month but was not at his best against an opponent gripped by nerves.
Tricole missed 13 attempts at double during an error-strewn first set and, while he improved to go two legs up in the next set, Cross was able to fight back to show his class with an excellent 114 checkout to move 2-0 up.
It broke the resistance of French thrower and the eighth seed and 2018 winner Cross was able to breeze through the third set to ensure he will return after Christmas.
Zong Ziao Chen started day seven proceedings with a 180 from his first three darts and produced a superb 128 bullseye checkout in the next leg, but Mickey Mansell proved too strong and booked his place in round two.
Mansell won 3-0 and averaged 89.94 to set up a second-round meeting with fellow Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan on Friday.
In the final round one clash of the Championships, debutant Berry van Peer caused an upset to knock out Englishman Luke Woodhouse 3-2.
Woodhouse landed six maximums but lost out to Dutchman Van Peer in a high-quality encounter.
Van Peer was making his first appearance at Alexandra Palace after coming back from struggles with dartitis and was able to regroup impressively after he missed two match darts at 2-1 up before he landed double 10 in the decider to become the last player into round two.
Number 32 seed Madars Razma set up a third-round clash with defending champion Michael Smith after a 3-1 win over Mike de Decker.
Anthony Joshua admits “there is no future” if he fails to beat Otto Wallin on the “Day of Reckoning” in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The two-time world champion is aiming to win his third fight of 2023 after already gaining victories over Jermaine Franklin Jr and Robert Helenius earlier in the year as he looks to step back to the top of the heavyweight division.
Joshua has three career defeats to date, Andy Ruiz Jr inflicted his first loss in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk beat him for the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on two occasions.
The 34-year-old understands that defeat could be damaging for his future in the sport.
He told a press conference: “I know where I’m going in my life but I’ve got to say this is a checkpoint and if I don’t get past this, there is no future so I’m fully locked in to Otto Wallin and doing the job.
“Pure focus on Saturday, that’s with my heart, soul and every cell in my body is focused on Otto Wallin and knowing what I can do.”
Joshua has looked focused in the build-up to the fight and explained he only has one thing on his mind.
He added: “I’m looking to do a good job and what more can I say, I will do a good job.
“I’m here to fight, I’m not here to party, I want to perform well and put that pressure on myself because I want to win, I have that urge to win and want to hurt my opponent as well.”
Swedish fighter Wallin, 33, has just one career defeat to his name, narrowly losing to Tyson Fury in 2019 but has won all six of his fights since.
Wallin vows to win the fight on Saturday and does not think it will be an ‘upset’ if he does so.
He said: “Its a big fight and big opportunity I’ve worked hard to be here and now it’s time to enjoy the moment, win the fight and move on.
“I’m going to win the fight and it shouldn’t be an upset, it’s natural and it’s my time, I’m happy to be here. I’m just trying to be myself, people say I talk a lot but I just answer them with what I feel, and I’m not trying to make anything up its the truth if people don’t like it fine, but its true.”
Deontay Wilder takes on Joseph Parker in the co-main event of the evening on a card which features eight fights.
Wilder has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by the way of knockout and insists he will do the same on Saturday.
He said: “I’ve come here to do what I do best, it’s something that comes naturally and I’m looking to do it again. Don’t blink baby, bam good night.
“I come to do what I do best, and that’s what the fans want to see, no one wants to see a 12-round fight and we are heavyweights and hard hitters, they wanna see us fight and then afterwards go party. Nowadays my name is called doctor sleep.”
Parker promised to put on a display for those in attendance.
He added: “I’ve had a great camp and coming into this fight with a great game plan, great strategy and respect to Wilder but I’m here to do a job and I’m here to win.
“We have a great camp and the people involved but when I get out there I’m going to put on a display.”
A boxer, a law student and police officer, Janathan 'Mufasa' Hanson aims to combine his diverse background to succeed in professional boxing.
Born in Wilton Gardens, more popularly known as ‘Rema’, Hanson experienced frequent relocations during his childhood. At the age of six, he left behind the familiar surroundings of his neighborhood and moved with the other members of his family to the Bronx, New York to start a new life. During this period, Hanson had a fleeting interest in boxing but credits the shaping of his character and determination with these early childhood experiences.
After seven years in the concrete jungle, Hanson relocated once again with his family - this time crossing the Atlantic to settle in South London out of their desire for better opportunities. Now an adolescent, his interest in boxing was once again sparked out of the need to defend himself against bullying. “I previously started lifting weights and I got really big and people in my high school started to take notice and wanted to challenge me, so I found boxing again to learn how to defend myself.”
Hanson further developed his boxing interest into an obsession and found an outlet at the Battersea Amateur Boxing Club. His ability in the ring quickly attracted the attention of the local boxing fraternity who recognized his disciplined and dedicated approach to the sport. He began to make a name for himself while honing his skills in London based competitions. However, the combination of a desire to represent Jamaica at the Olympic Games and another move by his family prompted a final relocation - this time back to Kingston, Jamaica where he continues to live, train and compete.
Fully committed to his boxing development during this stage of his life, Hanson clinched a series of seven National Amateur Boxing Championships over a nine-year period. Nevertheless, during this period of his life, Hanson's ambitions did not stop there - while winning National Championships and representing Jamaica on the international stage, he then began pursuing a law degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica in 2017.
It was not an easy task for Hanson to manage his boxing career and to study law simultaneously, but in typical boxing fashion, he decided to defy the odds by accepting yet another challenge and joined the National Police College of Jamaica in June, 2022 with an aim of becoming a police officer. When asked about the decision to join JCF he remarked, “ I decided to dedicate at least five years of my life, serving and protecting my people.”
Hanson’s interests can be classified as uniquely singular, however, he believes that each complements the next and that fruitful connections can be made between his pursuits in the ring, in the classroom, and towards serving and protecting the citizens if Jamaica.
As he put it, “Boxing has prepared me for success in and out of the ring - a level of uncertainty looms over each of my endeavours, but I’ve been tested and I’ve authentically pursued my passions in creating the best version of myself that offers value to Jamaica.”
Everything came full circle in a stellar 2023 for Hanson, the Jack of All Trades, achieved major milestones in all his pursuits. As of June, he became an official member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force after graduating from the National Police College of Jamaica. He then made the seamless transition into the professional boxing ranks by successfully winning his debut fight on October 7, against 16-fight veteran Kevin ‘Bus Boy’ Hylton at the Ebony Vale Community Centre in Spanish Town. Last but not least - in November, he officially completed his studies at the University of Technology, Jamaica, graduating with a law degree.
When asked about his plans for the future, Hanson shared his aspirations to reach new heights in the boxing world. “My eclectic background and diverse experiences have equipped me with a unique perspective, giving me an edge in most situations.”
He further added that although he has officially fought as a professional boxer, he has never given up on his Olympic dreams and plans to represent Jamaica at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
In a society that often emphasizes specializing in one particular field, Hanson challenges this notion - the boxer has armed himself with a law degree, and accepts the challenges of serving and protecting the average Jamaican citizen. A testament to the mindset that he developed over the years as a boxer - his story serves as an inspiration for those who believe that success is not limited to one domain but can be achieved in various fields with the right mentality.
Gerri Colombe will sidestep the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day in favour of a run at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott’s charge has won five of his six starts over fences to date, with his only defeat coming when edged out by a short head in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival back in March.
The seven-year-old was a narrow winner on his return in last month’s Champion Chase at Down Royal and had been among the leading lights for Kempton’s Christmas feature.
However, with the ground at the Sunbury track currently described as good to soft, good in places, connections are concerned conditions may not suit and have decided to stay closer to home, raising the prospect of a stellar field for the Savills Chase on December 28.
Reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs could represent Willie Mullins in Leopardstown’s Grade One contest, with the Martin Brassil-trained Fastorslow – who has beaten Galopin Des Champs on his last two starts – another in the mix.
Elliott said: “The ground is just drying up a bit in Kempton and we’re just a bit worried about bringing him over on too good a ground, so we’ll keep him at home and run him at Leopardstown.
“It looks a good race at Leopardstown.”
Paddy Power make Gerri Colombe an 11-4 chance for the Leopardstown race, with Galopin Des Champs the 6-4 favourite and Fastorslow next best on 5-2.
The same firm has the Mullins-trained Allaho as the 11-8 market leader for the King George, ahead of Paul Nicholls’ defending champion Bravemansgame at 2-1.
England are to provide greater support for the welfare of their players in response to captain Owen Farrell taking a break from Test rugby to prioritise his mental health.
Farrell made the shock decision just weeks after leading England to a third-placed finish at the World Cup in France – during which he was regularly booed by fans – and he will miss at least the Six Nations.
The fly-half’s international team-mate Kyle Sinckler stated that Farrell taking a step back was “only the beginning” because of the workload and pressure faced by players at the highest level.
As well as being booed at games, Farrell has been the victim of online abuse and there is an acceptance at the Rugby Football Union that playing for England brings with it a growing level of scrutiny.
“We just want to support Owen and all the time we are looking to improve the wrap-around care for players. That is the most important thing,” RFU executive director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea said.
“It is getting more and more difficult and febrile to operate in some of these environments so we need to look really carefully at this to make sure we are the best at it.”
Head coach Steve Borthwick is to be given greater control over his most important players with the introduction of 25 ‘hybrid contracts’.
But while he will be able to set an England star’s conditioning program and influence medical decisions when they are with their clubs, he will not have the scope to dictate what position they play.
Marcus Smith was primarily used as a full-back during the World Cup but Borthwick would be unable to insist he wears the 15 jersey for Harlequins were he to be given one of the new contracts.
“We are very careful when it comes to selection and where a player will play at his club,” O’Shea said.
“The deal is that players are paid to win at the weekend and so clubs will make that final call where the player plays.”
O’Shea has been involved in shaping plans for a new-look second tier of English club rugby that will sit below the Gallagher Premiership.
The league – tentatively named ‘Premiership 2’ – would replace the existing Championship with teams currently in that competition invited to indicate whether they wanted to be involved.
If there was insufficient interest then all funding to the Championship in its current form would be pulled by the RFU, who believes the competition needs a significant overhaul.
“What are you investing in? You’d rather take that money and invest it in other things,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said.
“I know it’s a controversial topic, but where are you going to get that return on investment?
“We’ve shown that if you pour money into the existing structure of the Championship, it just doesn’t deliver. That’s not being disrespectful, it just doesn’t.”
The Bahamas Aquatics Federation (BAF) is targeting US$1 million to stage next year’s Carifta Swimming Championships from March 28 to April 7.
“While this (raising $1 million) has never been done before by the federation, we believe that it is indeed possible. We ask corporate Bahamas and every Bahamian citizen to support Team Bahamas by contributing any amount to this fundraising goal,” said BAF President Algernon Cargill, who also serves as the vice chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event.
The meet will be staged at a renovated Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex and provides the opportunity for the Bahamian Carifta swimmers to perform at home for the first time since 2017.
“Winning our sixth title at home will not be easy and we will certainly need the support of all Bahamians, particularly corporate Bahamas, to support the marketing efforts of the Local Organizing Committee,” Cargill added.
The event is expected to attract some of the region's budding swimmers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Cayman Islands, among others.
Aidan O’Brien has confirmed his intention to split his Classic aces next spring, with Henry Longfellow unlikely to take on his esteemed stablemate City of Troy in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.
While Henry Longfellow has done nothing wrong in winning each of his three juvenile starts, it was City Of Troy for whom O’Brien reserved the highest praise, stating after his Dewhurst success at Newmarket in October: “He is the best two-year-old we’ve trained, there’s no doubt.”
City Of Troy is best-priced evens favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and while bookmakers rate his stablemate as his biggest threat, he could instead head to the French equivalent.
“I’d imagine that City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow will be kept apart for as long as the lads want to do that,” O’Brien told Sporting Life.
“We’re obviously thinking that City of Troy will be trained for Newmarket and then Henry Longfellow might be trained for France.
“If everything went well with City Of Troy at Newmarket, he could go straight on to Epsom (for the Derby) whereas the other horse could do the Curragh (Irish 2,000 Guineas) and Ascot (St James’s Palace Stakes) or something like that. There’s lots of scenarios that could happen I suppose.”
O’Brien has not been shy in pointing out City Of Troy’s extraordinary ability and continues to be effusive in his praise.
He added: “He’s the first horse we’ve had come along to show such class and courage, without us feeling that we’ve got to the last gear yet.
“He always had lovely balance, a lovely shape and a lovely mind. He was a lovely size of a horse, not too big and not too small. He looked the ideal horse all the way along really.”
Reflecting on his Dewhurst success and the feedback he received from jockey Ryan Moore, O’Brien added: “We just felt that we hadn’t had a horse like him before.
“Ryan was so confident in the horse that he really felt it didn’t matter what the ground was going to be like or anything else. He didn’t think he’d ridden a horse like this before, either – he’s always felt that this horse was different.”
Harry Fry is looking forward to raising Might I’s sights in an intriguing renewal of the Howden Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot on Friday.
The seven-year-old was a high-class novice hurdler a couple of seasons ago, placing behind Constitution Hill and Jonbon along the way, while he also picked up minor honours in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last term.
He has been switched the larger obstacles this autumn and having pushed Complete Unknown close on his introduction before opening his account in a match race at Exeter last month, he will now test his powers at Grade Two level in Berkshire.
“This is obviously his third start over fences. He made the most of a match opportunity the last day, but it was still good experience nonetheless,” said Fry.
“We take the step up in grade, hopefully he puts in a good round of jumping and if he does that then I’d hope he’ll have every chance.
“There’s not much between the four runners, he deserves to be in there for sure and hopefully he’ll give a good account of himself.”
The quartet is headed by Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party, who is eased in class and upped in trip after finishing fifth in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown a fortnight ago.
“He’s come out of Sandown very well. He didn’t figure prominently in the Henry VIII and this is not a dissimilar type of race, so he’s got a lot to do to win but he deserves his place in these types of races,” said Skelton.
“They’re not getting massively supported so if we’ve got one, we’re going to run them. He’s gone well at Ascot before so there are no negatives there.”
Djelo bids to make it three from three over fences for Venetia Williams following a couple of impressive handicap wins, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Kandoo Kid makes a similar move after beating Williams’ Frero Banbou in a Newbury handicap last time.
Gavin Sheehan is set to partner Hewick for the first time in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Trainer Shark Hanlon was on the lookout for a new rider for his stable star, with his regular partner Jordan Gainford sidelined by injury.
Rachael Blackmore stepped in to steer the eight-year-old to victory in the Grade Two Oaksey Chase at Sandown in the spring, but is set to be in action at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, while Brian Hughes was on board Hewick on his latest outing in the Galway Plate but is also unavailable.
Hanlon has therefore turned to one of the most in-form jockeys in the weighing room in Sheehan, who won last month’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Datsalrightgino and last week produced a similarly brilliant ride when guiding Fugitif to a last-gasp victory in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
“We’re just after sorting it this (Thursday) morning – Gavin Sheehan is going to ride,” said Hanlon.
“I know he had the chance of a good book of rides somewhere else, so I wasn’t sure if he’d ride him or not, but he came back this morning and said ‘the horse has as good a chance as any other horse in the race and I’d love to ride him’, which is great.
“He’s a jockey in great form, he knows the track and he knows the English horses, so it’s great to have him on board.”
Hewick has enjoyed a fairytale rise through the ranks, winning the bet365 Gold Cup, the Galway Plate and the American Grand National during a whirlwind 2022 campaign.
He was well beaten when last seen in action defending his Galway Plate crown in August, but Hanlon is delighted with his condition ahead of his festive return.
He added: “He went to the local point-to-point track this morning as the ground is beautiful and he jumped 12 fences. All the work is done, I just need to get him there now.
“I’ve been on to the shipping crew, who tell me the winds are due to die down on Friday night, so we’re booked on the boat on Saturday morning.
“He’s in right good form. It’s his first run of the season, which you’re always afraid of, but he runs well fresh so fingers crossed.
“Allaho is the one they all have to beat. It looks like there’s a few in there that like to make the running – I’d say there’ll be savage pace in it – but the great thing about our horse is we can ride him however we want.”
Nicky Henderson feels Champ has gone a long way to living up to his name as he goes in search of a second Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.
Owned by JP McManus, the soon-to-be 12-year-old won the race two years ago under Jonjo O’Neill jnr and he has maintained the partnership ever since.
Famously named after former champion jockey AP McCoy, Champ was a dual Grade One-winning novice hurdler as well as winning a Grade One novice chase at Cheltenham, beating Minella Indo and Allaho in dramatic style.
He will be making his first appearance of the season at Ascot but that is by design, with Henderson confident he is at his best fresh.
“He’s actually very good. He’s one of our real friends, he’s been here a long, long time,” Henderson told Sky Sports Racing.
“He’s lived up to his name in a lot of ways and you couldn’t have a nicer horse.
“He’s very laid back at home, he doesn’t show you an awful lot and he loves to be fresh.
“Last year we started at Newbury when he had a fantastic battle with Paisley Park and then came to the Long Walk, but we’ve always thought he’s possibly best first time out, so we kept him back from Newbury to have a crack at this again.
“Last year after the Long Walk we decided not to go to Cheltenham and keep him for Aintree, but it didn’t really work.
“He works with another old friend, On The Blind Side, who ran a fantastic race at Sandown the other day and they do all their work together but you can hardly call it work, they just go through the motions enjoying themselves.”
With fellow veterans Dashel Drasher and Paisley Park in opposition along with some much younger rivals, Henderson is looking forward to the race.
He said: “You are never confident about any of these Grade One races, it’s going to be very competitive and you can be pretty sure it will be a solid gallop with Dashel Drasher there.
“Paisley will be lurking around, one minute you think you’ve got him covered and then he’ll suddenly reappear at the death – it should be good.”
Editeur Du Gite is set for a return to Kempton over the Christmas period where he will attempt to defend his Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown.
Gary Moore’s nine-year-old was a shock 28-1 scorer when landing the then Grade Two prize 12 months ago and went on to claim the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham, downing Energumene and Edwardstone in the process.
He has failed to hit those same heights since, but could be rejuvenated by a return to both the Sunbury track and better ground for a race that is now run as a limited handicap.
“Hopefully the ground wouldn’t be too soft for him because he does like better ground and he hasn’t had it so far this year,” said Moore. “We look forward to seeing him run there again.”
Editeur Du Gite could face a maximum of 10 rivals which could include former stablemate and Tingle Creek third Haddex Des Obeaux, who has since moved to Nicky Henderson and is in line for his first outing for the Seven Barrows handler.
Harry Fry’s Boothill made it two from two for the season when getting the better Frere D’Armes at Ascot last month and the duo could lock horns once again, with the latter one of two in the mix for Dan Skelton alongside 2020 race winner Nube Negra.
Kim Bailey’s First Flow is another to chase home Boothill this term and amongst the entries, while Joe Tizzard has the option of saddling both the in-form Elixir De Nutz and War Lord.
The supporting Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase has attracted 10 entries and could see Sarah Humphrey’s Nickle Back drop back to the minimum distance.
The seven-year-old has been something of a star turn for the Cambridgeshire handler and was last seen chasing home the high-class Hermes Allen in the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.
Humphrey said: “He’s got that high cruising speed and I have dithered about doing it, but thought ‘yes, we’ll give two miles a go’.
“He has obviously won over two and a half miles and runs very well but he does tend to set it up for the ones behind him, so we’ll drop him back, give him a go and see what happens.”
Others to note include Venetia Williams’ Djelo, who is two from two over fences and impressed at Newbury recently, and the useful Marble Sands, who was a couple of places behind Nickle Back most recently and represents training duo David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.
Editeur Du Gite is set for a return to Kempton over the Christmas period where he will attempt to defend his Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown.
Gary Moore’s nine-year-old was a shock 28-1 scorer when landing the then Grade Two prize 12 months ago and went on to claim the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham, downing Energumene and Edwardstone in the process.
He has failed to hit those same heights since, but could be rejuvenated by a return to both the Sunbury track and better ground for a race that is now run as a limited handicap.
“Hopefully the ground wouldn’t be too soft for him because he does like better ground and he hasn’t had it so far this year,” said Moore. “We look forward to seeing him run there again.”
Editeur Du Gite could face a maximum of 10 rivals which could include former stablemate and Tingle Creek third Haddex Des Obeaux, who has since moved to Nicky Henderson and is in line for his first outing for the Seven Barrows handler.
Harry Fry’s Boothill made it two from two for the season when getting the better Frere D’Armes at Ascot last month and the duo could lock horns once again, with the latter one of two in the mix for Dan Skelton alongside 2020 race winner Nube Negra.
Kim Bailey’s First Flow is another to chase home Boothill this term and amongst the entries, while Joe Tizzard has the option of saddling both the in-form Elixir De Nutz and War Lord.
The supporting Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase has attracted 10 entries and could see Sarah Humphrey’s Nickle Back drop back to the minimum distance.
The seven-year-old has been something of a star turn for the Cambridgeshire handler and was last seen chasing home the high-class Hermes Allen in the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.
Humphrey said: “He’s got that high cruising speed and I have dithered about doing it, but thought ‘yes, we’ll give two miles a go’.
“He has obviously won over two and a half miles and runs very well but he does tend to set it up for the ones behind him, so we’ll drop him back, give him a go and see what happens.”
Others to note include Venetia Williams’ Djelo, who is two from two over fences and impressed at Newbury recently, and the useful Marble Sands, who was a couple of places behind Nickle Back most recently and represents training duo David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.
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