Morris can marshal his First Lieutenant to Gold Cup glory March 13, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP BOBS Worth was my selection last year to triumph in the showpiece event of this week’s Cheltenham Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.20pm), but I have to oppose him this year purely on value grounds. Nicky Henderson’s horse was available at 3/1 in 2013, but is already as [...]
Classy Calipto can give Nicholls his third win in the Triumph Hurdle March 13, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE FINAL DAY OF CHELTENHAM IT HASN’T been the greatest of weeks for Paul Nicholls so far, but he has a number of live chances today and will be disappointed if he isn’t on the scoresheet. I don’t think he’s going to be waiting long because CALIPTO must have a favourite’s chance [...]
Star Sports: Lay of the day March 13, 2014 Star Sports owner Ben Keith picks out one horse he’s happy to lay each day THIS column has nearly been the best tipping line in the country this week! Vautour and Sire De Grugy both won, but thankfully Annie Power saved me from really burnt fingers ahead of the final day of action. Yet, if [...]
Scots split plan hit by black hole March 12, 2014 Sinking oil revenues cause deficit to balloon north of the border THE SCOTTISH National Party’s bid for independence was dealt a blow yesterday as fresh figures revealed that Scotland’s deficit has jumped above the level for the UK as a whole, largely due to sinking oil revenues from the North Sea. The data coincided with [...]
Capital’s skyscraper boom set to dramatically change skyline March 12, 2014 LONDON’S skyline is set to change dramatically over the next decade. Over 236 towers over 20 storeys are being proposed, approved or under construction – more than double the number of tall buildings estimated to be in the capital today, according to a new report released yesterday. Traditionally a low-rise city, London’s skyscrapers have, until [...]
London tech stars to share £1.4bn from King.com float March 12, 2014 KING Digital Entertainment, the British firm behind hit mobile game Candy Crush Saga, expects to reach a $7.6bn (£4.5bn) valuation when it lists on the New York Stock Exchange this month, making its senior staff overnight multimillionaires. The company’s 22.2m shares are set to be priced between $21 and $24, according to an updated filing [...]
Bonus hikes help US banks to outbid UK for top staff March 12, 2014 BANK bonuses hit a post-crash high on Wall Street in the latest pay round, official figures showed yesterday, as the recovery boosted traders’ fortunes. Booming pay in the US contrasts with sustained political pressure on British banks who have been cutting back on bonuses in recent years. The average bonus for investment bankers hit $164,530 [...]
The coalition and Labour are uniting to destroy UK’s pensions March 12, 2014 IT’s hard to know what is most bizarre: the fact that the coalition and Labour are ganging up to vandalise the UK’s pension system, or that so few people have noticed or care. The disaster is on a similar scale to Gordon Brown’s infamous and at the time largely overlooked tax raid on pension funds [...]
Referendum for Crimea spurned by G7 countries March 12, 2014 THE G7 nations will not accept the results of any referendum in Crimea, and has told the Russian government to halt its work on the vote, which is set to take place in three days. In a communique yesterday, the leaders from advanced economies said: “Any such referendum would have no legal effect. Given the [...]
Insurers set to take £1.1bn hit after flooding March 12, 2014 THE WETTEST winter on record and flood and storm damage caused as a result is likely to cost the insurance industry £1.1bn, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). A total of 17,500 claims were received in the period between 23 December 2013 and 28 February this year; 9,000 from homeowners, 5,400 for flooded [...]
