Cheltenham Festival 2017: Buveur D’Air lands sixth Champion Hurdle for Nicky Henderson March 14, 2017 Trainer Nicky Henderson savoured a record-breaking sixth Champion Hurdle triumph after Buveur D’Air won the showpiece on day one of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. The 5/1 second favourite romped home by four and a half lengths to give jockey Noel Fehily a brace of victories in the race and bring up a half-century of [...]
Why Great Britain’s inspirational Paralympians offer a unique and economic sponsorship proposition March 14, 2017 This month marks a year before the start of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang and expectations for Great Britain's performance in South Korea are high following our most successful ever summer and winter Paralympics. In Rio last year, we won 147 medals, coming second in the medal table. In Sochi in 2014, we topped [...]
Why Manchester City’s Champions League tie with Monaco could make or break Pep Guardiola’s first season March 14, 2017 In a season of dramatic change on and off the pitch under Pep Guardiola, Wednesday night's Champions League trip to Monaco has taken on huge significance for Manchester City and the Spaniard. It hasn’t been an easy first season for Guardiola, who had a far smoother ride at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, where his team [...]
Chelsea 1, Manchester United 0: Jose Mourinho hits back at Blues fans over ‘Judas’ taunts as Chelsea beat 10-man United to set up FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham March 13, 2017 Chelsea 1, Manchester United 0 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho hit back at Chelsea fans who taunted him with cries of "Judas" as his latest return to Stamford Bridge ended on another sour note. Midfielder N'Golo Kante fired Chelsea into a Wembley FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham with only his second goal for the club, [...]
Wales’s Six Nations resurgence against Ireland defers debate over Rob Howley’s tactical rigidity March 13, 2017 In the build-up to Friday's fixture in Cardiff, when Wales overcame Ireland 22-9, their former flanker Martyn Williams pointed to the "stubborn" management team as a factor in explaining their patchy form of late. Coaches are often caught in a dilemma between whether to stick with the status quo or delve deeper into the squad [...]
Chris Froome breaks silence over Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford March 13, 2017 Three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has broken his silence on embattled Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford, insisting the all-conquering British outfit would not survive without its figurehead. Froome was conspicuous by his absence last week as several Team Sky riders, including Geraint Thomas, tweeted their support for the under-fire Brailsford amid a [...]
Olympic Stadium investigation: Beancounters net fees, findings to be made public this summer March 13, 2017 The mid-tier accountancy firm undertaking the forensic investigation into the London Stadium overspend will net at least £140,000, according to documents published by City Hall. Moore Stephens was appointed in February to perform a review of how the cost to transform the Olympic Stadium into the multi-use London Stadium increased from an original budget of £115m to £323m. The firm plans to deliver [...]
Arnold Palmer Invitational offers Rory McIlroy a chance to win before the Masters but Jason Day needs a performance more than most March 13, 2017 The first staging of the Arnold Palmer Invitational since the great man’s passing last year is sure to be a sad yet special occasion, as well as the fantastic week of golf at Bay Hill that we have come to expect. As always there is a very strong field, with some of the leading contenders [...]
British book worms are spending more on reading this year, sending sales up £100m March 13, 2017 Britons are reading more than last year and increased spending by six per cent on books by as much as £100m more compared to 2016, according to research from Nielsen Book Research UK. Printed book sales were up seven per cent, driven by greater reading amongst younger generations, despite commonly held assumptions that young people [...]
Dylan Hartley, Jonathan Joseph and George Ford urge England not to allow chance to make history slip through their fingers March 12, 2017 England skipper Dylan Hartley has led a chorus of assertions that his record-equalling side will not allow history to slip from their grasp during their crunch Six Nations clash against Ireland on Saturday. Victory in Dublin would not only see England become the first team since the inception of the Six Nations in 2000 to [...]