Manchester City v Premier League battle set to drag on beyond season December 17, 2025 Manchester City will face another lengthy wait to discover their punishment if they are found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, as the much-anticipated verdict of the independent commission will be delivered in stages. The initial judgement of the commission, which finished hearing the case 13 months ago, will only deal with matters [...]
The Punter Podcast Episode 62: Ascot and Haydock December 16, 2025 Tom Marriott and Bill Esdaile are back to preview Saturday’s racing, with the Long Walk Hurdle taking centre stage at Ascot and a competitive card at Haydock. Josh Moore joins to discuss their chances, including Mondo Man at Ascot, and Wally Pyrah reflects on HKIR and has selections for Happy Valley on Wednesday. The Punter [...]
Victtorino can deliver Christmas gold again December 16, 2025 THERE is one final chance this weekend to swell the Christmas coffers before the big day and the festival of racing that follows on Boxing Day. A high-class card from Ascot takes centre stage, where the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle (2.25pm) is the feature and the Fergal O’Brien-trained Crambo is bidding to join staying [...]
Supreme to be punters’ Silver Lining at Haydock December 16, 2025 AWAY from the Grade One action at Ascot, there’s a competitive card at Haydock with the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (2.05pm) the pick of the races. This three-and-a-quarter-mile contest is often a slog, and this year looks no different with attritional conditions forecast, so finding one that thrives when the mud is flying is imperative. [...]
Water win would put Size back in usual Flow December 16, 2025 REALITY returns for regular racegoers in Hong Kong when they arrive for a nine-race programme at Happy Valley on Wednesday. The many thousands of racing fans from all over the globe have now headed home following a hugely successful International Jockeys’ Championship at the city track last week, and normal service resumes. Despite incessant media [...]
South Star can guide Purton to victory at the Valley December 16, 2025 REIGNING champion jockey Zac Purton, fresh from his Group One winning double aboard Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble at Sha Tin on Sunday, could surpass 50 winners for the season with a host of winning chances at Happy Valley on Wednesday. The eight-time Hong Kong champion jockey, with 48 wins already on the scoresheet, [...]
World Cup: The rise of the armchair fan and why it matters December 16, 2025 The row over the 2026 World Cup ticket prices is as predictable as a plucky, late-stage English exit. But the eyewatering price tags are only part of the story. Without going into the economic principle of supply versus demand (the tickets will still sell out, in my opinion), I thought it was more interesting to [...]
Aussie Green reaches record IPL auction sale price December 16, 2025 Australian Cameron Green has been sold for £2.1m at the Indian Premier League auction to become the most expensive overseas cricket player in history. The all-rounder will play for Ramandeep Singh’s Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2026 IPL competition having been purchased for 25.2 crore by the eastern team. The Kolkata Knight Riders, whose 2024 [...]
Premier League clubs count £1bn cost of injuries December 16, 2025 Premier League clubs have forked out more than £1bn in wages to injured players across the last five years, a new study has found. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, 5,367 injuries in the English top flight have cost its clubs £1.2bn in salary payments – equivalent to a quarter of their matchday revenue [...]
Kylian Mbappe wins £53m payout from Paris Saint-Germain December 16, 2025 Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain have been ordered to pay Kylian Mbappe €60m (£53m) after he won a legal dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses. Mbappe had been claiming €263m (£231m) from PSG, who counter-sued the France captain for €240m (£211m), following his acrimonious move to Real Madrid in summer 2024. A French labour court [...]