Silviniaco Conti can silence doubters and win Gold Cup March 12, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE FINAL DAY OF THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL ONLY once before in the last 10 years has a bigger field gone to post for the Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.20pm), the feature event of festival week. Bobs Worth (2013) and Lord Windermere (2014), the last two winners of the 3m2f½ Grade One prize, both [...]
Martello can Tower over his rivals in the Albert Bartlett March 12, 2015 THE bookies absolutely cleaned up on this day 12 months ago, but there are plenty of well-backed favourites that could leave the layers feeling blue as they wave goodbye to Prestbury Park. Peace And Co is Betway’s 5/2 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm), but hopefully a number of you took the advice to back [...]
Racing FX March 12, 2015 I have five rides on Gold Cup day and things get underway with the Triumph (1.30) where I’m on PETITE PARISIENNE for Willie [Mullins]. She was impressive the last day, but I’m not sure the Irish juveniles are quite as good as the English. THE GAME CHANGER has been working well and he goes for [...]
Champions League: Mourinho: Chelsea not good enough March 11, 2015 CHELSEA 2 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2 (After extra time. 3-3 on aggregate. Paris Saint-Germain won on away goals) CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho has demanded answers from his players and questioned their mental strength after crashing out of the Champions League on away goals to 10-man Paris Saint-Germain last night. PSG played the final hour of normal [...]
Dodging Bullets guns down his rivals to land Champion Chase March 11, 2015 EIGHT-TIME champion trainer Paul Nicholls admitted he was baffled why Dodging Bullets did not receive greater billing ahead of his victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham yesterday. The 9-2 chance, with jockey Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle, held off a challenge from 2014 runner-up Somersby to win by one and a quarter [...]
Sport Comment: Referee Oliver proved his pedigree March 11, 2015 IN a season when the FA Cup’s mojo has been well and truly rediscovered, it was good to see two of the giants of the English game turn it on the other night. Manchester United-Arsenal was a snorter but I had to chuckle when the TV millions were exhorted to vote for their man of [...]
Lancaster recalls Lawes and Brown for Calcutta Cup bash March 11, 2015 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster believes his side will benefit from an injection of know-how when they bid to resurrect their Six Nations title hopes against Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday. Second row Courtney Lawes has been recalled to the starting XV in place of George Kruis after recovering from an ankle problem and is [...]
Mayweather ignites bout with Pacquiao March 11, 2015 UNDEFEATED American superstar Floyd Mayweather could not resist taunting rival Manny Pacquiao last night as the duo faced off during a pre-fight news conference ahead of the much-awaited Las Vegas showdown in May. The bout is set to be the richest in history with an expected purse in the region of £167m. Mayweather is unbeaten [...]
Ma Filleule set to fly in the Ryanair Chase March 11, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE RYANAIR CHASE AND THE BROWN ADVISORY PLATE THERE have been some mouth-watering races to enjoy already at this week’s Cheltenham Festival with the promise of plenty more to come, but there isn’t a race I’ve been looking forward to more all week than this afternoon’s Ryanair Chase (2.40pm). The race has [...]
Take Monetaire and Attaglance to shine in the Plate March 11, 2015 DAVID Pipe has an enviable record in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (4.00pm), winning it three times in the last six years. His father Martin won it four times in just six years and it’s clearly a race that Pond House target. Their sole representative this year is MONETAIRE, owned by Alan Stennett, [...]