Jezki leaves fancied rivals trailing in McManus Champion Hurdle 1-2 March 11, 2014 OWNER JP McManus hailed “a very special day” after claiming a one-two in the Champion Hurdle, 9-1 shot Jezki pipping the fancied My Tent Or Yours to win the feature race on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. Favourite Hurricane Fly got nowhere near a third victory in the race, as Barry Geraghty and [...]
England slump to series defeat March 11, 2014 ENGLAND’S stand-in Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan has called on his team to beat West Indies tomorrow and go into the forthcoming World T20 on a high. Morgan last night saw his team suffer a second defeat in three days to lose the T20 series with a match to spare, but wants to leave Bridgetown for [...]
Kompany: We’ll fight until the end March 11, 2014 FOOTBALL: Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes his side can use their dramatic 2012 Premier League title triumph as inspiration to overcome Barcelona tonight. City trail 2-0 from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but Kompany has reminded his team-mates to fight until the end having scored twice in the final minutes [...]
Etherington close to third medal March 11, 2014 PARALYMPICS: British skier Jade Etherington edged toward her third medal at the Paralympic Winter Games yesterday, finishing second in the first stage of the visually impaired super combined. In heavy fog, Etherington and guide Caroline Powell were one of only three pairs to post a time in the slalom element, with compatriot Kelly Gallagher among [...]
Pistorius loved guns, court hears March 11, 2014 ATHLETICS: Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius “had a big love” for guns, a friend told his murder trial in Pretoria yesterday. Darren Fresco testified that he saw Pistorius fire a gun in a restaurant and through the sunroof of Fresco’s car. He said: “We had been to the shooting range before and I knew he had [...]
Morning Assembly looks the perfect RSA type in brutal test for novices March 11, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE RSA CHASE AND THE NEPTUNE NOVICES’ HURDLE FINDING the winner of the RSA Chase (2.05pm) is no easy feat. More often than not, the winner is not the most talented in the contest. It is the one best equipped to cope with the stiffest test imaginable for a staying novice chaser. [...]
Star Sports: Lay of the day March 11, 2014 Star Sports owner Ben Keith picks out one horse he’s happy to lay each day THE BANDWAGON rolls on and we’ll be looking to take on the short ones again today. Our headline offer today is if you back Faugheen in the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle and he finishes out of the frame, you’ll get your money [...]
Irish outsider a decent bet to replace Tiara with Champion crown March 11, 2014 Bill Esdaile PREVIEWS THE CHAMPION CHASE AND THE CHAMPION BUMPER SPRINTER Sacre’s defection from today’s BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.20pm) because of injury has robbed the Cheltenham Festival of one of its real stars. Nicky Henderson’s charge was breathtaking in this race last year and would have been impossible to oppose had he turned [...]
Our Kaempfer value pick against Mullins raiding party in the Bumper March 11, 2014 THE WEATHERBYS Champion Bumper (5.15pm) is arguably the toughest race for punters to solve this week. The fact almost every horse is unexposed and often coming here on the back of just a couple of runs, means form is almost impossible to evaluate and helps explain why the last four winners have gone off at [...]
Elliott is set for more Cheltenham glory with Bayan and Clarcam March 11, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE HANDICAPS GORDON Elliott has an excellent record in handicap hurdles at the Festival in his relatively short training career. He won the Coral Cup in 2011 with Carlito Brigante and then landed the Fred Winter 12 months ago with Flaxen Flare. He has just the one runner in this afternoon’s Coral [...]