Time for All In You to show true Couleurs for Greatrex
KNOWN as Super Saturday, Newbury’s card this weekend features a host of quality contests, including the valuable William Hill Hurdle (3.20pm), a race that is often considered the best handicap hurdle run outside the Cheltenham Festival.
Having already advised an ante-post selection in this race a few weeks ago, hopefully many readers are sitting on a nice ticket with ALL IN YOU.
He was 10/1 and has now halved in price, but the reasoning remains the same, and I still wouldn’t put anyone off taking the 5/1 currently available.
Warren Greatrex’s six-year-old looks to have turned over a new leaf since switching from Gary and Josh Moore in early December, and is well handicapped off a mark of 127, having only gone up five pounds for winning with plenty in hand at Sandown last time.
The ground at Newbury is set to be bottomless with all the rain that has fallen recently, with more expected in the lead up to Saturday. However, that shouldn’t be a concern for All In You, who won three times on heavy going when trained in France.
Let It Rain looks the obvious danger for the Dan Skelton yard that love to plot one out for a valuable handicap like this, but All In You has more experience for a race of this nature and looks a rock-solid bet.
A good ante-post bet is often as much about judging what won’t run as what will, and that’s the case with Jango Baie in Newbury’s Grade Two William Hill Denman Chase (2.10pm).
Having been beaten in the Scilly Isles on heavy ground last season, Nicky Henderson’s son of Tiger Groom has been kept to good ground since then and I would be amazed if he lined up here.
That should open the way for the strong-staying HAITI COULEURS, who will have no concerns in the heavy going and will surely go off odds-on if Jango Baie doesn’t take his chance.
Rebecca Curtis’ nine-year-old bounced back to form when winning the Welsh National in December having disappointed in Grade One company at Haydock the time before, and looks the one to be with at 5/4.
Even if Henderson does throw a curveball and Jango Baie runs, I can see Haiti Couleurs outstaying him on heavy ground.
My third fancy from Newbury comes in the earlier William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle (1.35pm), where BELOW THE RADAR catches my eye at an each-way price of 8/1.
He seemed to be reinvigorated by the switch back to hurdles from fences when running a good race to finish second at Haydock last time.
It looked as though he needed every inch of the two-mile-five-furlong trip there and was crying out for more of a stamina test.
An extended three miles on heavy ground could be just what he wants, and having only gone up three pounds for that run, he might take a lot of beating here.
There’s some good action at Warwick too, where Lulamba should have a perfect Arkle prep in the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase (1.50pm).
The Skelton’s are always to be greatly respected at their local track, and LE MILOS looks as though he has been laid out to repeat last year’s win in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase (2.25pm).
He’s six pounds lower in the weights than his success here 12 months ago if Harry Atkins’ seven-pound claim is taken into account, and two-and-a-half miles around Warwick looks to be ideal for him, so he’s a good bet at 3/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Below The Radar e/w 1.35pm Newbury
Haiti Couleurs 2.10pm Newbury
Le Milos 2.25pm Warwick
Already advised
All In You e/w 10/1 3.20pm Newbury
Tough to see others Passing the Wife in Martin Pipe
RESULTS from the Dublin Racing Festival have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in several of the ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival.
The likes of Majborough and Fact To File delivered imperious performances, seeing them shoot to the head of the Champion Chase and Gold Cup markets.
Narciso Has stamped his authority on the Triumph Hurdle betting, courtesy of an impressive victory, but Final Demand blotted his copybook, seeing the picture for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase blown wide open.
As far as an ante-post bet goes this week, a race in Ireland is the focus, but away from the two days at Leopardstown.
THE PASSING WIFE broke his maiden at Punchestown last Monday and is of interest in the Martin Pipe at 12/1.
Beating the well-touted Doctor Du Mesnil, he recorded a comfortable victory when stepped up to beyond two miles for the first time.
A rise of three pounds in the handicap to 139 for that success looks very fair, and, while the English handicapper will add to that, on form he looks more than capable of winning off a further revised mark.
He was sent off favourite when finishing third in a maiden hurdle behind Thedeviluno, the current second favourite for the Albert Bartlett, and Skylight Hustle, who subsequently won a Grade One over Christmas.
He wasn’t beaten far in the Grade Two Royal Bond by Koktail Brut, and I feel as if you can put a line through his run over Christmas, judging by how emphatic he was when breaking his maiden last week.
It looks likely he’ll be towards the top of the weights, but at 12/1 he’s a great bet, especially with the Non-Runner Money Back concession now being offered by several firms.
POINTERS CHELTENHAM
The Passing Wife e/w 12/1 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
Southern Research, Pathogenus Create Global Partnership
Southern Research and London-based Pathogenus Consulting have signed a three-year partnership that will allow both organizations to capitalize on growing research opportunities around the world.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260202552199/en/
“We’ve seen clear momentum in our work with partners outside the United States, especially with Japan and European pharmaceutical companies, and the opportunity to broaden that footprint is both exciting and timely,” said Fusataka Koide, senior director of global client engagement for Southern Research. “As global investment in research accelerates, this collaboration ensures we remain at the forefront of innovation that can improve health worldwide in the fight against emerging and re-emerging diseases.”
Pathogenus maintains a strong scientific network in the U.K. and Ireland and also operates in Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Its network will benefit from Southern Research’s expertise and scientific infrastructure, including its Biosafety Level 2 and 3 labs at its headquarters in Birmingham, Ala.
“Pathogenus Consulting Limited is delighted to have this opportunity to work with an established and well-respected provider of preclinical models and assays,” said Adrian Wildfire, CEO of Pathogenus. “Southern Research has invested to excel in early-phase safety and efficacy testing with capabilities and capacity to match. Pathogenus offers expert business development skills and marketing know-how to help Southern Research bring its models directly to clients and to grow its market-share. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration for both parties.”
Much of the emphasis of the collaboration will focus on respiratory viruses including influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, as well as viral diseases such as Dengue fever. The partnership will assist international biotech companies that are developing treatments for emerging and re-emerging diseases as well as those involved in other areas of research, including cancer, a longstanding focus for Southern Research.
The partnership kicked off this year in January. While the initial agreement between Southern Research and Pathogenus extends for three years, the partnership may be renewed for a longer period of time.
About Southern Research: Founded in Birmingham in 1941, Southern Research is a nonprofit scientific research organization that employs 200 scientists and professional staff. In its more than 80-year legacy of moving science, Southern Research has been on the forefront of transformative research on cancer, infectious diseases and other illnesses. Visit southernresearch.org for more information.
About Pathogenus: Pathogenus is a consultancy formed by a like-minded group of experts drawn from the pharmaceutical industry and contract research organizations. The Pathogenus team provides solutions for all phases of drug and vaccine development including market penetration and sales. Pathogenus has grown from former iterations born over a decade ago to become a leading provider of clinical asset insights and resources. www.Pathogenus.com
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As global investment in research accelerates, this collaboration ensures we remain at the forefront of innovation that can improve health worldwide in the fight against emerging and re-emerging diseases.
Disney names new CEO as UK streaming shows early lift
Walt Disney has ended its long-running succession drama by appointing parks chief Josh D’Amaro as its next chief executive, as the group begins to see tentative signs of recovery in its UK streaming business.
D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, is to take over from Bob Iger at Disney’s annual meeting on 18 March.
Iger, who led the firm for much of the past two decades, will remain as a senior adviser and board member until his retirement at the end of the year.
“There is no limit to what Disney can achieve, and I am excited to work with our teams across the company and brilliant creative partners to honour Disney’s remarkable legacy”, the new boss said in a statement. The announcement comes against a mixed backdrop for the media giant’s entertainment branch.
While overall profits remain under pressure from high content and marketing costs, recent UK data shows Disney+ is finally regaining some ground after a prolonged period of stagnation.
UK streaming stabilises as succession settles
According to Enders Analysis, Disney+ engagement in the UK has begun to improve after over 18 months of decline, with the gap to Netflix narrowing for the first time, albeit modestly.
The shift follows price changes, content re-calibration and a broader rethink of how Disney both markets and positions its various platforms.
In its latest quarter, Disney’s entertainment revenues rose five per cent year on year to $26bn, but operating income fell nine per cent to $4.6bn, as spending continued to bite.
The streaming giant has acknowledged that visibility is lower than in previous years, but has pointed to brand-led marketing reforms and a clearer streaming strategy as foundations for its recovery.
Those changes now fall under the watch of D’Amaro, who has spent nearly three decades inside Disney, joining in 1988 and rising through its consumer products division, Disneyland and Walt Disney World before being in charge of the parks, cruises and Imagineering division five years ago.
Alongside D’Amaro’s promotion, Disney confirmed that Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, has been appointed president and chief creative officer, reporting directly to the new boss.
The move is designed to keep creative power close to the top at a time when competition remains fierce in the sector, and content efficiency is under scrutiny.
Iger said D’Amaro “has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects.”
The board, chaired by James Gorman, has been under pressure to prove it had learned from the chaotic handover to Bob Chapek in 2020, which ended with Iger’s return two years later.
MB Structured Investments, Founded by Naser Taher, Chairman of MultiBank Group, Wins Dual British Isles Industry Awards
MB Structured Investments, a UK-based structured investment company founded by Naser Taher, Chairman of MultiBank Group, and Robbie Briginshaw, ex Head of Structured Investments & Distribution at INVESTEC, has received two major industry awards, recognizing its growth and performance across the UK and Irish markets.
The firm was named Best Structured Product Provider at the Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards 2025 and also awarded Best Performance, UK & Ireland at the SRP Europe Awards 2025. Together, these accolades underscore the company’s disciplined product design, strong governance framework with support from its award-winning plan manager, and consistent delivery for its IFA/Wealth Management clients and their end investors.
MB Structured Investments is led by Chief Executive and co-owner Robbie Briginshaw, a seasoned professional with deep experience in structured investments and the UK financial markets. Drawing on his expertise and the global strategic guidance of founder Naser Taher, the firm has upheld a disciplined, performance-led approach to product development and market delivery. This has helped cement its reputation for reliable, well-governed solutions in a competitive investment landscape.
Operating with a strong local focus, MB Structured Investments curates structured investment strategies tailored to evolving market conditions. The firm partners with a long-established leading United Kingdom plan manager, which ensures overarching compliance and strict adherence to the national regulatory regime, to help support financial advisers, wealth managers, and professional investors across the UK and Ireland with structured investment solutions.
Commenting on the achievement, Naser Taher said: “These awards reflect the professionalism, innovation, and disciplined execution that define MB Structured Investments. They demonstrate the strength of the firm’s leadership and standing within the UK and Irish investment markets.”
MB Structured Investments is looking to expand its presence across Western Europe, combining specialist expertise with long-term strategic vision while deepening relationships with key partners and advisers.
*Source: AETOSWire
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Contact
Nasser Saimeh – Senior Manager
M: +971557435453
Email: nasser@ciceroandbernay.com
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MB Structured Investments, Founded by Naser Taher, Chairman of MultiBank Group, Wins Dual British Isles Industry Awards
Auto-enrolment closed the gap but more needs to be done, says pension minister
The introduction of auto-enrolment in 2012 helped boost pension savings, but more needs to be done to encourage people to save for retirement, a leading government official has said.
Speaking at the Association of British Insurers conference, pensions minister Torsten Bell acknowledged the importance of auto enrolment, with savings rates for eligible workplace employees doubling since 2012.
Pension assets have also grown, with defined benefit schemes holding £1.4 trillion, which most people are exposed to, while defined contribution schemes are expected to hold £900bn by 2030.
But despite the success of auto enrolment, many workers are still falling through the cracks, leaving them at greater risk of running out of pension funds early into retirement.
Just one in five self-employed workers in the UK save into a pension, while overall only 55 per cent of working age people actively save for retirement.
Bell said: “That’s not great, and so we need to start thinking about what else we need to do.
“It’s not just on the industry saying we think this should happen, there’s a whole host of areas where it’s on the government to facilitate that happening at all.”
Fixing pension saving
Bell noted that the government has doubled down on increasing pension saving among workers in the UK, including acknowledging the fact the pensions industry needs to be “made up from bigger and better action schemes”, with consolidation already underway in the DC market.
Under the Pensions Scheme Bill, which is expected to be passed into law in mid-2026, multi-employer DC schemes must manage at least £25bn in assets by 2030 or be on track to get there by 2035.
Schemes which are unable to reach this target will be forced to consolidate, with the government keeping its focus on larger schemes which are able to invest at scale, including in assets which offer higher long-term returns including private equity and infrastructure.
The government also revived the pensions commission last summer to look into pension adequacy and why workers are on track to be poorer than today’s pensioners, with findings set to be released in an interim report in spring 2026 before the full report in 2027.
Long term investment
While Bell voiced the need for pension reform to increase investment, he also acknowledged the government’s part to play in boosting capital placed in the economy.
Productivity stagnation since 2008, which has caused investment into the UK to become one of the lowest in the G7, has led to workers being £14,000 worse off per year and a lack of projects which drive economic growth.
He noted that there are multiple causes for low productivity growth including “austerity, Brexit and covid” which contributed to the drop in real world earnings, and confirmed the government’s intention to reverse this, including through greenlighting infrastructure projects.
This includes fast tracking nine new reservoirs, with none built between 1992 and 2024 despite the population growing by 10m, as well as preventing councils from blocking housing being built near stations.
Overall, the government has committed an extra £120bn in public investment over the course of this Parliament, the highest levels seen since the 1970s.
Bell said hiking levels of investment in the UK is the focus of Labour’s “growth strategy over the course of the next few years.”
But, while the pensions minister acknowledged more needed to be done including challenges facing UK employment levels, he also argued that “the gloom” towards the UK “is overdone”.
He said: “This economy is fundamentally one that is well suited to where the growth markets are.”
Guardiola calls out Premier League clubs for not winning trophies
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called out big Premier League clubs for not winning trophies despite spending more over the last five years.
After the January transfer window closed on Monday – which saw the 20 Premier League clubs spend around £400m – City’s net spend over the past five years sat at £396m according to Transfermarkt, behind Manchester United (£675m), Arsenal (£663m), Chelsea (£651m), Tottenham (£574m), Newcastle (£424m) and Liverpool (£420m).
But Guardiola, whose side failed to win a major domestic trophy last year for the first time since 2017, sarcastically lashed out at those who have spent more, saying they should have won more.
“I want to be the first, I don’t understand why the club doesn’t spend more money! I am a little bit grumpy with them,” the 55-year-old Spaniard said ahead of City’s Carabao Cup second leg against Newcastle United.
“But we won in the past because we spent a lot, now six teams have to win the Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues and FA Cups because they spent more in the last five years.
“These are facts. It’s not an opinion. You can say an opinion, like you say we played good or bad against Spurs – we can agree or disagree.
“But they are facts. Good luck to the six teams who are in front of us for net spend for the last five years. Let’s go. I’m waiting.”
Guardiola fires off
Across the last five seasons Manchester City have won the Premier League four times, while also picking up an inaugural Champions League title, an FA Cup, a Carabao Cup, a Uefa Super Cup and a Fifa Club World Cup.
A win tomorrow against Newcastle – Guardiola’s side go into the second leg with a two-goal advantage – would give Manchester City the chance at winning a fifth EFL Cup under the Spaniard.
“We have to be prepared and see how the players recover from a tough game at Spurs and play our game with our people and our fans and try to reach Wembley in March,” he added.
Peter Mandelson to quit House of Lords amid Epstein fallout
Peter Mandelson will step down from the House of Lords following fresh pressure on the Labour veteran after the latest bombshell drop of the Epstein files.
The Lord Speaker said on Tuesday afternoon Mandelson would exit the upper chamber, having receiving his life peerage in 2008 in order to serve in Gordon Brown’s cabinet.
The exit comes as millions of Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice showed Mandelson allegedly leaked market-sensitive information to the paedophile when he was business secretary, and also appeared to receive large payments over several years.
“My Lords, given the public interest and for the convenience of the House I have decided to inform the House that the Clerk of the Parliaments has today received notification from Lord Mandelson of his intention to retire from the House effective from 4 February,” Lord Forsyth said.
Mandelson had faced calls from Sir Keir Starmer and other Brown-era figures to leave the House of Lords, with the Prime Minister threatening to bring legislation forward to reform peerage rules.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was also revealed that Starmer handed the police an assessment of alleged leaks made by Mandelson.
Among the leaks that appear in the files include Mandelson telling Epstein about the government’s asset sales to ease pressures on public finances at the height of the financial crisis.
He also seemed to confirm that a bailout worth around $500bn during the eurocrisis was set to be announced.
Police review Mandelson files
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Monday night it was reviewing reports of alleged misconduct in public office, with parties including Reform UK and the Scottish National Party referring the matter over to the authorities.
Starmer, who last year said he had “full confidence” in his former ambassador to the US, said Mandelson had “let his country down”.
During his cabinet meeting, Starmer said Mandelson’s claim to have no recollection of payments made by Epstein would be “gobsmacking” in the eyes of the publlic.
He also warned he was “not reassured that the totality of the information has yet emerged” regarding new information unearthed in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The ordeal raises questions over Starmer’s handling of Mandelson, having controversially appointed him as ambassador to the US after being elected.
Mandelson was sacked after it was revealed that he maintained contact with the disgraced financier after his first conviction.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday that he had alerted Starmer on Mandelson’s potential leaks shortly before the sacking.
There are also doubts around security protocols within government given suggestions Mandelson held sensitive government information on personal accounts.
American Psycho musical at the Almeida review: Bloody brilliant
American Psycho at the Almeida | ★★★★★
A lot has happened over the years Rupert Goold has been artistic director of the Almeida. In 2013 he opened his tenure at the Islington theatre with this wickedly amoral musical: six British Prime Ministers and one pandemic later, he completes the oroborus with the same riotous show.
Back then I gave American Psycho five stars and absence has not dulled its nihilistic appeal – few nights at the theatre are this outrageously fun. There is some logic to bringing Wall Street banker Patrick Bateman back to the London stage in 2026: this totem of consumerist excess has been embraced – perhaps ironically, perhaps not – by a generation of young men on the internet, who admire his macho posturing and unapologetic misogyny. Indeed, Bateman’s obsession with a young Donald Trump, the ultimate figurehead of 1980s excess, is brought to the fore in this production; even “Jeff” Epstein gets a mention.
Matt Smith is replaced in the lead by relative newcomer Arty Froushan, whose more traditional good looks (no shade on Matt Smith) are perhaps better suited to this world in which everybody dresses the same and nobody is ever entirely sure who they’re taking cocaine with. Froushan’s portrayal of Bateman involves a little more mimicry than Smith’s, even replicating Christian Bale’s slightly nasal drawl from Mary Harron’s 2000 film adaptation.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s book also leans heavily on the movie (far more so than on Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel): the business cards scene, the axe murder set to the tune of Hip to Be Square, Bateman’s absurd morning routine. These have become cultural touchstones, shorthand for toxic masculinity, memes shared countless times. It’s hard to imagine watching this production without feeling these story beats on an almost instinctual level.
But the cultural context can be saved for the walk home: in the moment, this is a thrilling production, whether Bateman is murdering prostitutes with a nail gun to a pulsing electro soundtrack or having an existential crisis in a New York City nightclub. It’s a neon cartoon, a dizzy dreamscape, strangely uplifting despite the darkness at its core.
Duncan Sheik’s score is immaculate, matching 1980s classics – Everybody Wants To Rule the World, In the Air Tonight, True Faith – with original numbers that echo the tenor of these songs, trapping these characters in this consumerist hell like insects encased in amber.
The choreography is also impeccable: stand out moments include the cast writhing in day-glo lycra, and strutting around with shopping bags on their heads for stand-out number You Are What You Wear.
Goold will soon take over from Matthew Warchus at the Old Vic. American Psycho is a bloody brilliant curtain call for his time at the Almeida.
WP Engine Debuts Newsroom, the Platform Built for Editorial Excellence
WP Engine, a global web enablement company providing premium products and solutions for websites built on WordPressⓇ[1], today announced the launch of WP Engine Newsroom, an editorial workflow and operations platform purpose-built for modern media organizations to accelerate editorial time-to-market.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260203341807/en/
News cycles have accelerated and distribution has splintered across channels, yet many publishers still rely on fragmented technology stacks that slow teams down and strain resources. As a result, too much time is spent maintaining publishing infrastructure instead of improving how content is created, distributed, and monetized.
“The way news is produced, disseminated and consumed has fundamentally changed, and much of the technology behind it was built for a different era. Publishers now face new challenges as revenue shifts from clicks to AI-driven visibility,” said Heather Brunner, WP Engine CEO. “Newsroom unifies core newsroom operations in a purpose-built platform designed to accelerate growth for modern media companies, enabling them to move faster, adapt continuously, and meet audiences where they are.”
Newsroom frees up media organizations to focus on producing and disseminating timely, high-quality information. Key benefits include:
- Stability & Scale: Reduces technical debt by standardizing vendor and platform, and simplifying integrations via clear APIs.
- Efficiency & Velocity: Accelerates workflows to increase story output without increasing editorial staff while maintaining strict quality standards.
- Growth & ROI: Leverages integrated analytics, AI-ready integrations for search and recommendations, and SEO tools to track content performance against core business metrics.
- Future-proofing & Modernization: Seamlessly upgrades current WordPress website environments to a specialized media-first platform without the risk of a full migration.
Built on WP Engine’s enterprise-grade Managed Hosting Platform, Newsroom is designed to remain stable during traffic spikes and scale with the demands of high-volume publishing. Core features include:
- Streamlined Publishing Workflows. Streamline complex editorial operations with publication checklists, live news tools and visual updates to eliminate technical bottlenecks, allowing “reporters to be reporters” and keeping content flowing at the speed of modern news cycles.
- Integrated Data and Insights. Get actionable, real-time insights into content performance and reader behavior with integrated analytics to drive engagement and optimize search visibility.
- Unified Media Operations. Consolidate your publishing tech stack with digital asset management integration and editorial and content creation tools into a single, focused platform that replaces “stitched-together” technology with purpose-built media tools.
“The release of WP Engine Newsroom represents an important step forward in how digital publishing organizations operate,” said Charlotte Cijffers, chief digital officer at ITP Media Group. “By making modern publishing tools more accessible, teams can work faster and with greater autonomy, reducing unnecessary friction and bloat. Adopting a more flexible publishing standard allows businesses to move away from costly, legacy platforms and focus on scalable systems that support long-term growth.”
Click here to request a WP Engine Newsroom demo or learn how to take advantage of the new publishing standard to grow and scale your digital publishing business.
About WP Engine
WP Engine empowers companies and agencies of all sizes to build, power, manage, and optimize their WordPress websites and applications with confidence. The global technology company serves and powers more than 5 million sites, providing premium, enterprise-grade solutions, tools, and services, including specialized hosting platforms for websites built on WordPress, industry-tailored agency solutions, and developer-centric tools like Advanced Custom Fields, NitroPack, Local, and more. Innovative technology and industry-leading expertise are why Pandora, Experian, Equifax, VMware, HubSpot, and Dell choose WP Engine. Learn more at wpengine.com.
[1] The WordPress® trademark is the intellectual property of the WordPress Foundation. WP Engine is not endorsed or owned by, or affiliated with, the WordPress Foundation.
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