The Punter Podcast Episode 63: Christmas Racing Special December 22, 2025 Tom Marriott is joined by Bill Esdaile for his best bets of the busy Christmas racing schedule, highlighted by the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. Plus, Wally Pyrah dials in to preview the racing at Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Tuesday 23 December. Merry Christmas! The Punter ‘The Punter’ has been City [...]
World Triathlon targets T100 Olympic event as soon as Brisbane 2032 December 22, 2025 World Triathlon president Antonio Arimany on its alliance with the PTO, Olympic expansion ambitions and returning to London in 2026. After a few years of flux characterised by challenger leagues and competitions sprouting up at a dizzying pace, it feels like consolidation is in the air in the sports industry. Golf awaits the consummation of [...]
Christmas can come early for Size and Purton with Enthralled December 22, 2025 BANK on the formidable partnership of trainer John Size and jockey Zac Purton to serve up a pre-Christmas treat for racegoers, when racing gets underway with a nine-race programme at Happy Valley on Tuesday. The pair team up with strong stayer ENTHRALLED, who comes to the Valley for the first time in the competitive Saturn [...]
Sugar out to land sweet Valley success for Fownes December 22, 2025 TRAINER Caspar Fownes continues to churn out winners at regular intervals this current campaign, and 16 of his 24 winners have come at his favourite track, Happy Valley. The proclaimed King of the Valley is a dab hand at getting his gallopers to show their best form at the city track, so it is interesting [...]
NBA Europe: Plans advance for league with London and Manchester teams December 22, 2025 The NBA has announced it will step up plans to launch a European basketball league in conjunction with world governing body Fiba by holding further talks with prospective teams and owners next month. The project has been in discussion for months, with NBA top brass meeting existing European clubs and would-be investors during a summer [...]
Ashes: Australian media mock ‘death of Bazball’ after defeating England December 22, 2025 Australian media have revelled in proclaiming the death of England’s much-vaunted Bazball approach after the hosts wrapped up a fourth successive home Ashes series. Sunday’s 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide saw the Pat Cummins-led Aussies take an unassailable 3-0 lead, making a mockery of pre-series English optimism. And Australian newspapers seized the [...]
How sport and athletes can show the realities of neurodiversity December 21, 2025 Sport and athletes like Simone Biles, Lewis Hamilton and Lucy Bronze can play a key role in reframing attitudes on neurodiversity, writes Matt Readman. Earlier this month Wes Streeting announced a review into how the UK is currently diagnosing mental health conditions, jumping on the bandwagon of those questioning whether normal feelings have become “over-pathologised”. [...]
Private capital is reshaping sport’s financial future, and it’s structural December 20, 2025 Sport is no longer solely passion projects for the super-wealthy. Today, it is becoming a mature asset class supported by institutional and long-term private capital and the shift is visible in the deals transforming clubs, competitions and infrastructure across Europe and beyond. Private capital is stepping in where banks can’t or won’t. Stadium developments, transfer [...]
The Wolf is Coming to Win for Shum December 19, 2025 RACING in Hong Kong reverts to Saturday from Sunday this weekend for an 11-race programme at Sha Tin and features the Class Two Ivy Handicap (9.05am) over six furlongs. With the Christmas festivities fast approaching, it will be paramount for many racegoers to top up their balances to pay for the turkey and presents under [...]
Invincible Ibis hoping for good Fortune on mile debut December 19, 2025 WITH the flagship event on the racing calendar, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, done and dusted for another season, it is now the turn of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series to take the spotlight, starting at the beginning of February. The likes of highly progressive gallopers Dazzling Fit and INVINCIBLE IBIS have already put their [...]