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 [...]
Bayern not unbeatable, says Wenger March 10, 2014 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has urged his team to disregard Bayern Munich’s aura of invincibility as they attempt to pull off perhaps the greatest individual result of his 998-game reign tonight. The Gunners must beat the holders by two goals in Germany, just as they did 12 months ago, to have any chance of reaching [...]
Fight sells out in an hour March 10, 2014 ORGANISERS of the super-middleweight world title rematch between Carl Froch and George Groves plan an imminent release of 20,000 extra tickets, after an initial 60,000 seats sold out inside an hour yesterday. The biggest ever post-war crowd for a British fight will witness the bout on 31 May and seats priced at £30 and £40 [...]
Golf Comment: Ryder Cup role like being honoured by Queen March 10, 2014 IT’S a great privilege to be asked to be part of another European Ryder Cup team, and I thank Paul McGinley for making me a vice-captain and for his kind words. It’s like receiving an honour from the Queen; I’d known for some time that I’d get the role but hadn’t been free to speak [...]
Don’t let Ozil control it, Pep warns holders March 10, 2014 BAYERN Munich coach Pep Guardiola has ordered his Champions League holders to nullify Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil or risk the most unlikely of upsets tonight. Guardiola believes the Gunners are the only team to better his all-conquering outfit this season, albeit for only nine minutes and in a first-leg match that Bayern went on to [...]
Bell to replace injured Root at World Twenty20 March 10, 2014 ENGLAND batsman Joe Root will be replaced by Ian Bell for this month’s World Twenty20, after scans revealed the severity of his thumb injury yesterday. Root suffered a multiple fracture during last week’s series-clinching one-day international against West Indies, though remained at the crease and scored 107 runs. The 23-year-old flew back to England and [...]