Spillane’s time to Tower over his opposition in Aintree Bowl April 2, 2025 AINTREE’s three-day Grand National Festival begins on Thursday as we build up to the 2025 Grand National itself on Saturday. There’s plenty to look forward to before that though with no less than four Grade One contests on Thursday’s card, which begins with the Manifesto Novices’ Chase (1.45pm). Jango Baie produced an astonishing late finish [...]
British Basketball Federation hands 15-year licence to Glickman April 2, 2025 The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has defied Super League Basketball (SLB) clubs by signing a 15-year deal with Marshall Glickman’s GBB League Ltd (GBBL) to operate the men’s professional league from 2026. SLB clubs warned last week that they would take legal action to block the sale of the licence, which they say is illegal. [...]
ECB facing pressure to drop prices in Hundred franchise sale April 2, 2025 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could be asked to accept less than the £520m offered by new investors for 49 per cent of the eight Hundred franchises if they refuse to hand over control of the competition’s next television contract, which will begin in 2028. The ECB wants to continue its successful policy [...]
Parliament warns against extending Premiership Rugby Covid-19 loans April 2, 2025 A top parliamentary committee has insisted Premiership Rugby clubs who are “financially unviable five years post-pandemic” should not have their Covid-19 loans extended. The damning report from the Public Accounts Committee – an influential group of backbench MPs who probe state spending – singled out the process in which £124m of loans funded by the [...]
Lee will be right at Home in the Liverpool Hurdle April 1, 2025 THERE weren’t many tougher beats at Cheltenham for me than HOME BY THE LEE, and I think he can have his day in the sun in the Liverpool Hurdle on Saturday (3.05pm). I’d been all over Joseph O’Brien’s charge for the Stayers’ Hurdle and he was cruelly brought down in the race at an early [...]
Courier Magic looks ready to deliver a Valley victory April 1, 2025 THERE are a number of hot and highly competitive handicaps on the Happy Valley card, and none more so than the finale, the Kyoto Handicap (3.50pm) over six furlongs. With the likes of Kaholo Angel and last-start winners Beauty Infinity, Romantic Son and Happy Fat Cat lining-up, this will have form book students scratching their [...]
Sharpen a Definitive pick to win for Teetan April 1, 2025 EXPECT plenty of excitement and high drama when racing gets underway with a competitive nine-race programme at Happy Valley in Hong Kong today. The action takes place on the C+3 track, which only measures 19.5 metres in width, and luck is likely to play an important part in determining winners. When racing took place on [...]
Ancelotti in Spanish court accused of €1m tax fraud April 1, 2025 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will tomorrow appear in court accused of tax fraud of more than €1m. The 65-year-old former Premier League manager will stand trial in Madrid on charges of defrauding the Spanish tax office to the tune of £836,857 in undeclared earnings from image rights a decade ago. The trial is expected [...]
Ineos and New Zealand Rugby end deal after settling £27m sponsorship row April 1, 2025 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has formally ended its partnership with New Zealand Rugby after reaching a settlement over a £27m sponsorship deal due to run until 2027. NZR, which is responsible for the All Blacks and Black Ferns, sued Ineos in February after the chemicals giant had stopped making payments in order to “exit our [...]
Moses Swaibu: From match-fixing to GameChanger April 1, 2025 Crystal Palace protege Moses Swaibu went from big time to a life of crime, match-fixing for betting syndicates, but – via a spell in prison – is making amends with his sport integrity advisory GameChanger360. Moses Swaibu knew he had hit rock bottom on his first night in prison. Beginning a custodial sentence for bribery [...]