‘BRUTAL

BUSINESS’
AHEAD

Matthew
Lindsay
reports from the
Scotland squad
announcement
where Steve
Clarke insists
he’s prepared
to make tough
calls on Euro
selection.
Pages 2-3

Inside Myziane Maolida Martin Hannan

your
midweek ‘It’s easier to play well on Six Nations
Sport when the coach shows Where have all
trust in you. That’s the hard men of
why I am really Scottish rugby
enjoying my football’ disappeared to?
Page 6 Back page
2 FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES
Football a ‘brutal business’ but
Clarke’s ready to break hearts
Scotland manager braced for tough phone calls ahead of Euros selection
Matthew Lindsay
Chief football writer
T
HERE were a few
conspicuous absentees
from the 25-man Scotland
squad which Steve Clarke
named yesterday afternoon
for the for thcoming
friendly internationals against the
Netherlands and Northern Ireland at
Hampden.
Aaron Hickey of Brentford, Ryan
Jack of Rangers and Callum McGregor
of Celtic, three players who have all
featured regularly for Clarke during
his near five-year tenure, are all
unavailable for the double header.
The national team manager,
though, is optimistic the trio will be
fit once again when the Euro 2024
finals in Germany come around in
June and is not, not yet anyway, fret-
ting unduly about their injuries.
“Touch and go at the minute doesn’t
bother me,” he said.
Clarke fully anticipates he will have
some harsh calls to make when he
finally determines which 23 players
he will take away to the tournament
this summer. He expects that as many
as five hopefuls are going to be left
disappointed by his final selection.
“It’s not weighing heavy on me in
March,” he said. “But it will at the
start of May when I have to go and
make those decisions and have those
conversations. But that’s the job,
that’s what I’m paid to do and that’s
what I’ll do.
“The ideal scenario is you get to the
beginning of May and everyone is fit
and available and I have got to make
tough choices. Historically, people
will tell you that you will probably
lose one or two that you want to
select to go to a tournament. So
fingers crossed we don’t.
“A lot of it is going to be dependent
on fitness. You can’t read into the
future so you don’t know what’s
going to happen. You might lose some
that you don’t want to lose. Hopefully
that’s not the case. But at the moment
I’m probably looking at disappointing
four of five players.
Steve Clarke faces the press yesterday to announce his 25-man squad
“This is going to be a big decision.
It’s going to have a big impact on
some of these young lads’ lives. But
I’ve lived it, I’ve been there, I under-
stand it. I’ll be sorry for them, but it’s
quite a brutal business at times
football.”
Clarke added: “We had more
bodies to choose last time [Clarke
was able to name 26 players for the
Euro 2020 finals in 2021 due to the
Covid pandemic], but there were still
some tough decisions to make.
“I left out Andy Considine, who
had come in and done really well, so
that was a tough call. Liam Palmer
also missed out at the last minute
because of young Nathan Patterson
coming through at Rangers.
“So those were two difficult
conversations. I think this time I will
probably have more than two diffi-
cult conversations because the squad
size is a little bit smaller.”
There were seven centre-backs –
Liam Cooper, Grant Hanley, Jack
Hendry, Scott McKenna, Ryan Porte-
ous, John Souttar and Kieran Tierney
– in the Scotland squad which Clarke
announced yesterday and it is
unlikely all of them will be involved at
Euro 2024 if Hickey returns to the
fray.
The same can be said of the
midfielders. Stuart Armstrong, Ryan
Christie, Lewis Ferguson, Billy
Gilmour, John McGinn, Kenny
McLean and Scott McTominay have
been called up for the games at the
Johan Cruyff Arena on Friday week
and Hampden the following Tuesday.
Full squad
Goalkeepers Zander Clark, Craig
Gordon (both Hearts), Angus Gunn
(Norwich), Liam Kelly (Motherwell)
Defenders Liam Cooper (Leeds),
Grant Hanley (Norwich), Jack
Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Scott McKenna
(Copenhagen), Nathan Patterson
(Everton), Ryan Porteous (Watford),
Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy
Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar
(Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic),
Kieran Tierney (Real Sociedad)
Midfielders Stuart Armstrong
(Southampton), Ryan Christie
(Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson
(Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Brighton),
John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny
McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay
(Manchester United)
Forwards Che Adams
(Southampton), Lyndon Dykes
(QPR), Lawrence Shankland
(Hearts)
But will all of them be given the nod if
Jack and McGregor come back?
“There are a lot of centre-backs in
there,” said the manager. “In the
midfield area, there are seven this
time. Obviously, Ryan and Callum
would be strong candidates to join
that. But I can’t see me taking nine
midfield players. So that will be
another decision for me to make.”
Clarke, who is hoping to build up
some important momentum in the
Netherlands and Northern Ireland
Wednesday March 13, 2024
games, stressed that he is not unduly
troubled by the absence of Hickey,
Jack and McGregor at the moment.
“Aaron is improving,” he said.
“Slowly, but he is improving. He
should get a return to the grass early
or mid April. I am hopeful. Callum is
similar. The feedback I have had is he
will be back after the international
break so fingers crossed on that one.
“Ryan is another one I had in my
mind that I was going to select for
these games. Rangers were going to
start him against Hibernian accord-
ing to their manager Philippe Clem-
ent. But he has picked up another
little niggle so he hasn’t made the
squad. But he was in my mind to
select for sure.
“It would be particularly sore [for
Jack to miss Euro 2024 having not
been involved at Euro 2020]. But it’s
going to be hard on anybody missing
another tournament. Circumstances
might dictate that is the case, but
hopefully not.”
The Scotland manager was missing
Hanley, Andy Robertson, Souttar and
Kieran Tierney for the Euro 2024
qualifiers against Georgia away and
Norway at home back in November
and he was pleased he could call on all
of them for this month’s friendlies.
Particularly Hanley. The 48-times
capped 32-year-old has not featured
for his country since the 2-0 win over
Spain in Glasgow in March last year
due to an achilles issue. Clarke is
delighted that a defender who has
been involved to some of his biggest
results in the past has come through
a difficult period.
“It is good to get a few boys back,”
he said. “Grant has been out for a
long time with what is a tricky injury,
especially at that stage in your career.
But he has done well. He is back in
the Norwich team. I have seen him
live a couple of times and he is doing
alright.
“I have always liked Grant, his style Attention on
Ferguson no
of play. Maybe I am a bit old fash-
ioned, but he is a proper old-fash-
ioned centre-back. He does what it
says on the tin Grant. I call him one of
my men. You know what you are surprise for
getting week in, week out. He is one
of my reliables.
“He is quite quiet, keeps himself to
his manager
himself. But when he has got some-
thing to say he will say it and people STEVE CLARKE is unsurprised
will listen. No, he is a good character, Lewis Ferguson is being tipped to
a good man to have in the group. It is join one of the biggest clubs in Italy
nice to have him back in.” this summer having been impressed
The 60-year-old underwent a pre- with the Scotland midfielder’s form
Euro 2024 health check himself for Bologna in recent weeks.
earlier this week as the SFA contin- However, Clarke has stressed
ued their preparations for the finals the 10-times capped 24-year-old is
in Germany. “It was in case they find not guaranteed to start in the
anything wrong before I go,” he said. national team’s forthcoming
“I’m still waiting on the results, but I matches against the Netherlands
did alright. I didn’t fall off the and Northern Ireland due to the
treadmill!”
Wednesday March 13, 2024
strong options he has in the centre
of the park. Ferguson has been
linked with Serie A giants AC Milan,
Inter Milan, Juventus, Lazio and
Napoli in recent weeks as he has
helped the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara
outfit to move into fourth place.
The former Hamilton and Aberdeen
player was involved in the Euro 2024
qualifiers against Georgia and Norway
back in November and is sure to
feature in this month’s friendlies.
But, even though Ryan Jack and
Callum McGregor are out injured,
Clarke is able to field Ryan Christie,
Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Kenny
McLean and Scott McTominay in
Ferguson’s area of the pitch.
“Lewis has just carried on in the
same vein,” he said. “He’s playing
really well and really consistent
game in, game out and it looks like
he’s attracting a bit of attention.
“I watched his last game against
Inter. They lost the game, but Lewis
was good, as he always is.
“He plays as a pressing No.10
and does it quite well. But I’ve used
John McGinn in that position before
and Scott McTominay is actually
playing in a very similar position for
Man United at the minute. So I’ve got
loads of pressing No.10s.
“Billy Gilmour is playing week in
week out at Brighton and Ryan
Christie has found another level of
performance at Bournemouth now
that they have tweaked his position a
little bit. Then you’ve got the usuals –
McGinn and McTominay. So it’s a
strong area of the pitch for us.
“Lewis understands the situation
and he understands that we’re very
strong in the midfield area. He knows
he’s got to be patient to get his
chance. But I’m pretty sure when he
FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES 3
gets his chance he’ll be ready for it.”
Meanwhile, Clarke has stressed
that he will only promote Scotland
Under-21 players to the senior set-up
if he loses more squad members to
injury in the final round of matches
before the international break.
“This weekend coming up is the
worst,” he said. “I just sit slumped
with my head in my hands, thinking
‘don’t get injured, don’t get injured’.
“As you look at this squad, it’s
quite short. We only have 21 outfield
players and a lot of them are
defenders. I could have boosted it
with one or two of the younger ones.
“But I want to re-emphasise the
fact that while I have my eye on the
younger group I think the Under-21s
should stick together and try and
qualify out of their section [for the
Under-21 Euro 2025 finals].”
Matthew Lindsay
‘Gordon has better
chance of Euros place if
he’s playing for Hearts’
MATTHEW LINDSAY
SCOTLAND manager Steve Clarke
has stressed that Craig Gordon will
boost his chances of being involved
in the Euro 2024 finals if he reclaims
his place in the Hearts team – but
admitted he could still take the
vastly experienced goalkeeper to
Germany if he isn’t playing regularly
for his club.
Gordon performed well and kept
a clean sheet as the Tynecastle club
defeated Greenock Morton in the
Scottish Gas Scottish Cup quarter-
final at Cappielow on Monday night
as Clarke looked on from the stands.
However, that was only the third
competitive game which the
74-times capped 41-year-old, who
suffered a double leg break on
Christmas Eve in 2022, had featured
in during the 2023/24 campaign.
The former Celtic and Sunderland
man has been unable to displace
Zander Clark, who started for his
country in the qualifiers against
Georgia and Norway back in
November in the absence of Angus
Gunn, at Hearts since returning to
full fitness.
Clarke, who yesterday named
Clark, Gordon, Gunn of Norwich
City and Liam Kelly of Motherwell
in his 25-man squad for the
friendlies against the Netherlands
and Northern Ireland this month, is
heartened to see Gordon back
playing football again.
The 60-year-old will assess the
player at close quarters in the
forthcoming international break
and is sure to hand him some game
time in the Johan Cruyff Arena on
Friday week or at Hampden the
following Tuesday.
He stated that Gordon, who has
never played at a major tournament
finals during his career, will increase
his prospects of travelling to the
Euros in June if he is playing
on a regular basis for
Hearts, but refused to rule
out selecting him if he is not.
“It’s a chance for me to see
Craig working up close and
working with the other
goalkeepers in the
group,” he said. “He
has played three
games since coming
back, but, without
being disrespectful
to the opposition,
it’s Spartans,
Airdrie and
Morton.
“Craig hasn’t
been overworked in the
games he has played in so
it will be nice for the
goalkeeper coach, Chris
Woods, and myself to see
him up close and personal.
It’s nice to have Angus
back in the group as well.”
Asked if he would be
prepared to take Gordon
to the Euros on the
evidence of what he sees in
the next fortnight if he fails
It would probably be a bit
easier for selection if he
was Hearts No.1. I have
to take a lot of different
factors into consideration
to dislodge Clark at Hearts, Clarke
said: “I can always make the decision.
“That will come down to me as to
whether I think Craig is right or not
right to go. What I would say is, don’t
discount Zander, as he is keeping him
out the Hearts team. That tells you
how good Zander has been to keep a
keeper of Craig’s stature out the team.
It will be an interesting choice.”
Asked if Gordon needs to be
playing for Hearts to go to Euro 2024,
Clarke said: “It’s possible. It would
probably be a bit easier for selection if
he was Hearts No.1. Obviously I have
to take a lot of different factors into
consideration. I wouldn’t say if he
only plays two more cup games, I
wouldn’t select him.
“Mentally and physically he is in
great shape. He is a strong-willed
person, very strong mentally. To
come back from such a significant
injury at that stage in his career
shows that. He’s done great to be
back involved. It is nice to see him
on the pitch after such a horrendous
injury. It is nice to see him back,
stripped and looking good. Let’s see
how it goes.
“His experience is there to be
seen. His performances for me as
the head coach would have some
bearing on it. But you have to be fit
and well, pretty much like
goalkeepers who are playing all the
time as they get into a rhythm.”
Clarke continued: “Three of the
four goalkeepers I have selected
for these games will go. There’s
every chance you get a
goalkeeping injury so it’s nice
to have the four.
“I am saying of
the four that three
will go to the Euros.
But maybe two get
injured. Then I
need to find
another goalkeeper
to come in.
Young Robby
McCrorie at Rangers
has been my go-to for
bringing in if I need an
extra goalkeeper.
Those are the five that
I am thinking of and
three will go to the
Euros.
“It’s going to be a
difficult decision to
narrow that four, if
you include Robby
McCrorie that five, to
that three that we will
take in the summer.”
4 FOOTBALL CINCH PREMIERSHIP
Silva improves Rangers and must play
Although future is unclear for
Portuguese striker, in the here and
now he is pulling strings for Clement
Comment
Chris Jack
Senior football writer
T
H E s m i le s a nd t he
celebrations tell their own
story. The focus is on
success rather than the
summer for Fabio Silva. If
medals are earned and
memories are made, the course of
Silva’s career could change.
Silva’s stint in Glasgow was agreed
as a short-term affair, a quickfire solu-
tion to a problem that had to be
addressed as a matter of urgency. The
Portuguese is only halfway through
the arrangement, but it says much
about his impact and his influence
that the topic of a prolonged stay has
already come to the fore. That does,
of course, require more than one
party to make it happen.
Silva is just 13 appearances into his
Rangers career. His latest one saw
him take his tally for Philippe Clem-
ent’s side to four goals and rounded
off a showing that further endeared
him to supporters. There were few
dissenting voices when Silva agreed a
loan move from Wolverhampton
Wanderers in the days before the
January transfer window opened and
recent weeks have only served to reaf-
firm the 21-year-old’s prowess and his
potential.
It is only four seasons since Wolves
were so enamoured by those qualities
that they parted with £35million to
sign the talked-about talent from
Porto. Silva extended his Molineux
contract until the summer of 2026
before joining Anderlecht on loan in
July 2022 and that added time on his
terms means that no defining deci-
sions will need to be made come the
end of the current campaign. Rangers
could, therefore, theoretically be in
the running to secure his services for
a second time if Gary O’Neil believes
Silva doesn’t merit a place in his
Premier League squad once again.
Silva himself opened the door to a
possible Ibrox return after scoring in
the Scottish Cup win over Hibernian
on Sunday evening, his clinical strike
eight minutes from time ensuring
progression to the last four after John
Wednesday March 13, 2024
Lundstram had opened the scoring in
the first half. The Portuguese was
watching on from afar while Clem-
ent’s side lifted the League Cup in
December but he is very much part of
the squad now moving towards a
domestic treble. A stint with PSV
Eindhoven last season saw Silva add
the KNVB Cup to the Primeira Liga
and Taca de Portugal medals he won
in his homeland and the lure of silver-
ware, at a club where he is happy and
appreciated cannot be
underestimated.
“I’m loving being here,” Silva told
BBC Scotland after the victory at
Easter Road. “I don’t control these
things 100 per cent. It’s not 100 per
cent my decision to stay, if it was up
to me then maybe yes. But I could say
‘yes’ and then you have a lot of things
still to be taken care of.
“Perhaps I have the least input into
whether I stay here but we have two
months to enjoy the football, to win
titles and I think after that, if we win
trophies and everything goes well,
Rangers and I will do everything for
me to stay. When you see me playing
with a smile on my face, I think every-
thing’s going the right way. I enjoy
playing here, playing for the fans, the
staff, my team-mates. It’s a pleasure
to be here. I enjoy it a lot. I’ve been
trying to get back my happiness and
they’re giving me that.”
Silva’s arrival at Ibrox came amid a
backdrop of debate and discussion
over where he would fit into Clem-
ent’s blueprint. The Belgian made it
clear that he had been signed to oper-
ate as a No.9 but some were sceptical
that Silva would be able to score the
level of goals required to win Rangers
the title. The strengths in his game
were known and quickly became Fabio Silva is on loan at Rangers
evident, yet his record in Portugal, Tavares warns Benfica to be braced for Ibrox from Wolves until the summer
England, Belgium and Holland was
used to cast doubt over his natural BENFICA have been warned by youth system and was a regular for middle. Clement had seen Danilo all-
nous in the area. former player and current Hibs star their B team before moving to but ruled out for the campaign after
A return of one goal in every three Jair Tavares they will feel like the Edinburgh two years ago. undergoing knee surgery following
outings is not prolific but his strikes Rangers fans are on the pitch He said: “Benfica will be faced with the win at Tynecastle in early Decem-
have come at important junctures in playing against them because of the a frenetic and electrifying atmosphere. ber, while doubts over Kemar Roofe’s
matches and the black-and-white “electrifying” atmosphere at Ibrox. I think these are the most accurate robustness remain a pressing concern
numbers don’t tell the full story of his Rangers host the Portuguese words to describe Ibrox. despite his return to action. In the
input and impact. Clement has repeat- giants in the second leg of the round “Rangers fans are extremely loud weeks since Silva joined, Clement has
edly been positive about his progres- of 16 clash after an entertaining 2-2 and passionate about the club. They lost Abdallah Sima, Todd Cantwell
sion. Only his effort against Hearts, draw in Lisbon last week. don’t shut up for a second, always and Oscar Cortes for extended peri-
the fifth goal in a comprehensive win Easter Road wide man Tavares supporting the team, from the ods, and the likes of Ross McCaus-
for Clement’s side, can be diminished came on as a sub against Rangers beginning to the end of the game. land, Dujon Sterling, Rabbi Matondo
in terms of significance. His first in Hibs’ Scottish Cup quarter-final “Sometimes it even feels like they and Scott Wright have also
strike came on his fourth appearance defeat at the weekend and also are on the pitch playing against you. succumbed to the Ibrox injury curse.
as he broke the deadlock at home to played at Ibrox earlier this season “I expect an extremely tough When push came to shove in
Livingston and a week later, he extin- when Hibs crashed to a 4-0 defeat. game for both sides.” Lisbon last week, Clement had no
guished Ayr United’s hopes of a Scot- He came through the Benfica Mark Walker choice but to utilise Silva from the left
tish Cup shock by doubling Rangers’ and have him on the pitch at the same
advantage in the closing stages at time as Cyriel Dessers. Silva was
Ibrox. The goal and the gratitude were well- what Silva brings to Rangers. Ulti- hugely influential on the night. His
The goal that secured a semi-final earned once again. mately, he is a very good player and combination with Mohamed
spot on Sunday was timely. Collect- This was not Silva contributing as the more of them that Clement has, Diomande presented Tom Lawrence
ing the ball in the left channel, he the focal point of the forward line. the greater chance the Belgian has of with the chance that was converted
shifted it onto his right and then beat Instead, it was a big player coming up delivering the successes at home and to open the scoring, before a defence-
David Marshall at his near post. As with a big moment when his manager abroad that looked so unlikely when splitting pass that found Sterling saw
those in the away stand celebrated, and his team needed him to. When all Silva moved across the border. Rangers re-establish a lead that was
Silva took a seat on the advertising the focus on preferred positions is Silva was initially recruited to eradicated by Connor Goldson’s
board and savoured the adulation. parked to the side, it becomes clear provide another option through the heading beyond Jack Butland. The
 Wednesday March 13, 2024
...in any position
The forward was
always destined to be
a manstay of the side
in the second half of
the campaign but the
weight on his shoulders
has only increased as
the walking wounded
line has lengthened
last two outings perhaps encapsulate want to be in all the competitions.
what Silva brings in terms of guile After the game against Benfica, we all
and goals. spoke together in the dressing room.
His contribution will be key once We tried to say this to everyone, we
again tomorrow evening. Rangers have to have this ambition in all the
have come through the more difficult competitions, not just in the Europa
of the fixtures against Benfica but League. In Europe, it’s easy to have
there is still so much to do to secure a that mentality because everyone
place in the last eight of the Europa wants to play those games. You don’t
League. Clement will once again ask need motivation to play those games.
those who are fit to feature to delve We can do brilliant things this
into their mental and physical season.”
reserves. Silva can be relied upon in If those things are to be achieved,
both regards and this occasion in Silva will need to be fit and firing for
front of a raucous crowd and under Clement. The forward was always
the Ibrox floodlights sees him return destined to be a manstay of the side in
to a stage that he will compete on the second half of the campaign but
many more times over the course of the weight on his shoulders has only
his career. increased as the walking wounded
“If you win, it’s a big step in the line has lengthened. Thankfully for
competition,” Silva said. “You’re Rangers, such a burden has become a
through to the last eight. “For Rang- way of life for a prodigious Portu-
ers, for everyone, it’s a big step. For guese talent.
the club, for the players – everyone Silva has given Rangers reasons to
wants to be on this stage. So we’ll be smile and celebrate thus far. He gives
ready for Thursday. It’s going to be a supporters reason to be enthused and
good game, these games are always optimistic of what could come. The
special. At Ibrox, even more so. future beyond the summer can be
“We have a lot more games left in discussed at the relevant time. Right
our journey. Everyone has to switch now, Silva has goals to score, medals
mindset to be ready to play as we to win and memories to make.
Comment
Ryan McGinlay
Football writer
ASK anyone who follows or covers
Celtic the question of who has been
the side’s biggest miss this season,
and you’ll be greeted with a
multitude of different responses.
Your typical replies will include the
likes of influential figures such as
Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has
missed nearly as many games as he
has played and captain Callum
McGregor, whose latest injury is still
undetermined concerning the severity
of it. They may also mention players
like Jota and Carl Starfelt, both key in
delivering five trophies to the club
under Ange Postecoglou, who moved
on to pastures new in the summer to
Saudi Arabia and Spain with
Al-Ittihad and Celta Vigo respectively.
However, perhaps the biggest miss
this campaign, certainly concerning
creativity and guile in attack, has
been that of Reo Hatate, a player
who has been ravaged by injury this
season. Celtic’s No.41 who can play
anywhere in the midfield three has
played only 526 minutes for the club
in all competitions, across just 11
appearances. During this time, he
has contributed four goal
contributions – two goals and two
assists – as he has found game-time
hard to come by thanks to various
injuries to his calves and hamstrings.
His latest injury – picked up in the
Asia Cup for Japan in their defeat to
Bahrain – has kept him out of action
for over a month, with the talented
midfielder still recovering from this
setback at present. However, Celtic
manager Brendan Rodgers gave
some positive news regarding his
return to action, which could be
sooner than expected. He said: “Reo
[Hatate] is progressing well.
“He’s out on the pitch doing his
work so we’re hoping that after the
international break, he’ll be with the
squad. He’ll be training with the
group during the international break
and will be available afterwards. It’s
more looking for the Livingston
game after the break.
“After the international break,
we’ve got a big game then. Just having
the availability of that level of player
– the dynamism he has – clearly it’s
something that we’ve missed. So to
have him back will be great.”
That “big game” Rodgers was
alluding to is none other than
Celtic’s third Old Firm derby of the
season, where they face Rangers at
Ibrox on April 7. Hatate himself is
no stranger to the fixture, having
burst onto the scene back in
February 2022 with a double on his
derby debut, a night that lives on in
FOOTBALL CINCH PREMIERSHIP 5
Brendan Rodgers will be glad to welcome Reo Hatate back to the fold
Hatate return can’t
come quick enough as
Celtic midfield struggle
the memory for many.
Without question, Celtic have
badly missed their most dynamic
midfielder during a number of
games this campaign. In fact, the
club has won every single game they
have played in the league this season
when Hatate is strutting his stuff in
the middle of the park. The proof is
in the pudding: the Japan
internationalist helps Celtic win
games and win them in style.
It is a widely accepted viewpoint
that Celtic’s midfield is not firing on
all cylinders currently, with Matt
O’Riley the only player who is a
guaranteed starter at present.
Tomoki Iwata has slotted in as the
side’s new holding midfielder, whilst
Paulo Bernardo and Daniel Kelly
are fighting it out for the other
remaining spot in the side. Odin
Thiago Holm’s involvement has
been stop-start, though he has
shown signs of promise when given
the opportunity to get on the park.
Palma set for call up
HONDURAS FA chief Gerardo
Ramos has confirmed they will
insist crocked Celtic star Luis
Palma goes on international duty
despite his latest injury setback.
The £4million winger picked up
a knock that kept him out of their
4-2 Scottish Cup quarter-final win
against Livingston at the weekend
and is a huge doubt for their
weekend game with St Johnstone.
But Honduras are desperate to
call on their star man for their
one-off Copa America play-off
against Costa Rica in Texas, USA.
And Honduran FA general
manager Ramos has confirmed
Palma will definitely travel.
He said: “Luis Palma has a
minor injury that has been worked
on with the national team doctor in
conjunction with the Celtic doctor.
“We are positive that Luis will be
able to be there for this important
match against Costa Rica.
“Logic tells you that Palma is
one of the first on the teamsheet.”
Mark Walker
Injuries have played their part in the
failure to tie down a regular spot for
the Norway youngster.
No disrespect to the likes of
Bernardo and Kelly, but Hatate will
walk into this side when he is fully
fit and ready to contribute. With his
contractual situation sorted out for
the medium to long-term following a
renewal back in September, the
midfielder is signed up until the
summer of 2028, a big relief for all
concerned. Indeed, this summer
may have been earmarked as a
potential window for the player to
leave the club, but that may be more
likely in the case of O’Riley, given
the big interest in the player from
Atletico Madrid in January.
If Celtic can get the 26-year-old fit
and firing, then he may very well be
a contributing factor to the club’s
late successes this season. With two
pieces of silverware still to play for,
Hatate could have a massive part to
play in the destination of the
trophies, and whether or not they
will be staying in that glittering
cabinet at Celtic Park. Unlike the
likes of Bernardo and Kelly, Hatate
has been in this position before at
Celtic, having been a part of two
previous run-ins during his time
under Postecoglou. Additionally, his
first professional club was J1 League
side Kawasaki Frontale, one of the
most successful Japanese teams of
the past decade or so. These
experiences place him in perfect
stead to come in and make a telling
impact, as calm and cool heads will
be needed from now until the end of
the season.
Overall, the return of Hatate to
Celtic from injury cannot come
quickly enough. Rodgers will be
counting down the days for one of
his star midfielders to make his long-
awaited return, one that must be
sustained from the moment he
enters the field of play to the last kick
of the ball.
For the manager and all those
concerned with the club, they will be
hoping that the last kick is at
Hampden at the end of May, with
Hatate playing a starring role in even
more success at the national
stadium.
6 FOOTBALL CINCH PREMIERSHIP
Maolida coy
over Hibs future
after rekindling
love for game
Hertha Berlin loanee loving life in
Leith but hasn’t made his mind up
Ross County v Hibs
Patrick McPartlin
Football writer
M
YZIANE MAOLIDA
has remained tight-
lipped over his future
– despite admitting he
is enjoying his football
again after a torrid
time at Hertha Berlin.
The French-born attacker has been
in eye-catching form since signing a
half-season loan deal from the German
second-tier side, with five goal contri-
butions in 10 games so far. He is under
contract at the Olympiastadion until
the summer of 2025 but appears to
have very little interest in seeing it out
with his future up in the air.
Dundee v Aberdeen
Leven says mood in camp is ‘really
good’ despite more disruption
ABERDEEN caretaker manager Peter
Leven is confident there is enough
talent, professionalism and belief in the
squad and continuity in the coaching
staff to brush off the latest disruption.
Leven has been placed in temporary
charge for the second time in six weeks
after Neil Warnock departed in the
wake of Saturday’s Scottish Gas
Scottish Cup victory over Kilmarnock.
The first-team coach guided the Dons
through a draw with Celtic on February
3 following the dismissal of Barry
“I’m motivated just to play games
and show my quality in every game.
It’s easier to play well when the coach
shows trust in you. That’s why I am
really enjoying my football here,” he
said, speaking ahead of Hibs’ trip to
Dingwall tonight – but steering clear
of laying out his plans for beyond the
summer.
“My family and friends say they
can see I am enjoying my football, I’m
more happy, my body language is
much better. They’re happy for me
that they’re seeing me like this. Hope-
fully I can continue to do that.”
Hertha boss Pal Dardai didn’t hold
back in his criticism of the Comoros
internationalist, publicly accusing
him of laziness as he demoted the
Lyon academy graduate to the club’s
B team, which plays in the German
fourth tier, and Maolida admitted the
Hungarian’s comments had stung.
“He said I didn’t do well in train-
ing, not so well, that’s why he put me
in the second team,” he continued.
“Every time the coach says something
bad to you it’s not easy. But my head
now is good and I will work hard, I’m
happy here. For me, it’s in the past.
Now I’m focused on Hibernian.
Once the coach has trust in you then
you are more free on the pitch and in
your head. It’s just much better.”
Most parent clubs maintain contact
with players out on loan, with regular
phone calls, video calls, WhatsApp
messages, and more as part of the
agreement. But that doesn’t appear to
Robson and his assistant, Steve Agnew,
before Warnock and right-hand man
Ronnie Jepson were hired to take the
club through to the end of the season.
That appointment did not work as
intended as Aberdeen’s run without a
cinch Premiership victory stretched to
10 matches.
Now Leven gets the chance to
stabilise their league campaign in games
at Dundee this evening and Motherwell
on Saturday, before the club attempt to
make a long-term appointment during
Myziane Maolida is under contract until the summer of 2025 at Hertha
be the case with Maolida, who
shrugged when asked if the Hertha
hierarchy was keeping in touch with
him during his time in Edinburgh.
“No, there’s no contact,” he said.
“I’m just here and focused on what’s
happening here. I have no contact with
them. Maybe they look at my perfor-
mances, maybe not. I don’t know. I’m
not disappointed because I’m very
happy [at Hibs] with my team-mates,
the fans and everybody here.”
Nick Montgomery’s man-manage-
ment skills have been lauded by every-
one, from former managers to current
players, and he has spent time with
Maolida to help him hone his skills in
green and white.
“He gave me confidence. He talked
with me the other week and we went
through some videos after a game to
show me what I can do better, what I
did badly, and he just helped me a
lot,” explained Maolida.
The 25-year-old will almost
certainly start in attack for Hibs as
they look to make it back-to-back
victories over Ross County when they
Aberdeen
caretaker
manager
Peter
Leven
the international break. The former
Kilmarnock and MK Dons midfielder
admitted he was a “little bit” surprised to
be back in charge.
“After the game I got asked if I’d take
the next two games,” the 40-year-old
said. “I’ve always said I would always
travel to Dingwall on Wednesday
night. Whether or not he starts
centrally or on the left may depend on
the fitness of other players and Mont-
gomery’s review of Sunday night’s
Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat by
Rangers, in which Emiliano
Marcondes operated as a false nine
with Maolida prowling the left flank.
“I can do more. I can play better
than I did on Sunday. I’m in good
condition, I feel good mentally. I can
show my qualities,” he insisted.
A practising Muslim, he is currently
observing Ramadan but insists he has
no problems fitting his football and
nutrition requirements around the
strict need for fasting.
“It’s not difficult for me because I
have been doing it for a long time,” he
said. “I have been a professional for
eight years and I’ve been doing it
since I started at Lyon. It won’t be
difficult for me to observe Ramadan,
it’s natural for me. You can’t have
anything at all. You just have to get up
in the morning and prepare for the
day, until the sun goes down.”
help the club in anyway I can.
Obviously the club are going through a
process, and Neil knew that at the time,
to appoint a permanent manager.
“I have been here since the start of
the season so they know how I work.
And I think Saturday’s result helped.
The mood in the camp is really good.
“They are good players, there is a lot
of talented players in there. I said to
believe in yourself and let’s just try and
take our form from Saturday into the
next two games.
“I’m still here, Scott Anderson is still
here, Sammy [Craig Samson] is still here.
The main core of staff are still here. So
nothing really changes in that aspect.
“They are professional. They have a job
Wednesday March 13, 2024
Hibs to meet with SFA
over fan behaviour
HIBS have been invited to meet
with a key Scottish FA committee
to put forward their views on
unacceptable supporter
behaviour at football matches.
The move comes in the wake
of the capital club’s decision to
slash the away fan allocation for
games at Easter Road, citing
‘abhorrent behaviour and
chanting’ from some supporters
in recent seasons. A statement
referenced ‘use of pyrotechnics,
sectarianism, objects being
thrown onto the field of play and
other actions’ as reasons behind
the decision, with Hibs chiefs
also pointing the finger at
sections of their own fanbase.
“Understanding that the
behaviour of certain sections of
Hibernian FC’s own support has
not been good enough at times
this season, the club has been
taking the strongest possible
action against those who behave
in an unacceptable manner,
working with Police Scotland
and colleagues at other clubs,”
the statement read.
“Football is a sport for all, and
stadiums should be a place
where families and friends can
come together to support their
team. Hibernian FC prides itself
on being a club for everyone
regardless of race, ethnicity,
colour, gender, religion, creed,
and sexual orientation. Everyone
should be able to feel safe and
comfortable attending a football
match.”
Edinburgh derby matches
against Hearts will be exempt
from the measures to reduce
away fans, with the Gorgie side
having already taken steps to
reduce the number of away fans
at Tynecastle for some matches,
but handing over a full allocation
for games against their city rivals.
Hibs would welcome further
discussions on how best to
crack down on unacceptable fan
behaviour but are reluctant to
throw their support behind
specific measures, such as strict
liability, without first having a
clear understanding of how it
would work.
Patrick McPartlin
to do. We are in everyday working hard.
They know what I expect from them.”
Leven appreciated Warnock’s
farewell message and the experience of
working with the 75-year-old.
“He just said ‘go and do your thing,
you are a top coach, I loved working
with you’, he is always here if I need
him,” Levein said. “I learned a lot from
him in a short time, his
man-management skills. A lovely man
and I wish him all the best for the
future. To spend time with someone
who has been in the Premier League
for so long and the Championship and
all of the games he’s managed, to get
that information from him during his
time here was really good.”
Wednesday March 13, 2024 FOOTBALL SCOTTISH GAS SCOTTISH CUP 7

Kingsley calls on Hearts to shake News update

Murray goal proves
decisive at Firhill
off their Rangers curse at Hampden EUAN MURRAY headed the only goal
as Raith Rovers moved within a point
of cinch Championship leaders
Dundee United with a 1-0 win at
Partick Thistle.
Defender insists Murray nodded home a Kyle Turner
free-kick after 33 minutes at Firhill,

he’s determined stunning Thistle after a confident start

by the home side.

to change record Kerr McInroy, Scott Robinson and

Brian Graham had all forced saves
from goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski in
against rivals the early stages.
Aidan Connolly threatened a second
for Raith after the break when he shot
over but Partick almost grabbed a late
equaliser when Graham’s header
clipped the top of the bar.

Results
cinch Championship
Partick Thistle 0 Raith Rovers 1
Champions League round of 16 second leg
Arsenal L Porto L
Barcelona 3 Napoli 1
(Barcelona win 4-2 on aggregate)
English Championship
Birmingham City 0 Middlesbrough 1
English League 1
Carlisle United 2 Barnsley 3
Derby County 2 Reading 1
Fleetwood Town 0 Bristol Rovers 0
Leyton Orient 0 Port Vale 0
Lincoln City 6 Cambridge United 0
Joel Sked Northampton Town 0 Blackpool
Portsmouth 2 Burton Albion
1
1
Football writer Shrewsbury Town
Wycombe
0 Exeter City
1 Wigan Athletic
3
0
Bolton Wanderers 5 Oxford United 0

I
F Hearts are to win their first
Scottish Cup in 12 years they
will have to achieve a feat for the
first time in their history: beat
Rangers at Hampden Park.
Defeat in the League Cup
semi-final in November made it 15
matches and counting without a win
over Rangers in Mount Florida.
“We just need to believe we can put
on the performance we are capable of
against them,” Stephen Kingsley said.
“I feel we’ve been guilty of not giving
a great account of ourselves the last
couple of times.
“The manager talks about small
margins and we’ve been on the wrong
end of them. We’ve not quite been at
the levels we should be. Against
teams like them, you are going to get
punished. So it’s really about taking
the belief we have built up over the
latter part of this season and putting
on a performance we can be proud of.
“We need to give ourselves the
chance to get a foothold in the game
and go on to get a positive result. It’s
a great occasion for the club and fans.
We have to make them proud.”
To overcome Rangers they will
have to improve on their previous two
performances against their semi-final
opposition outside of Edinburgh.
“It’s our second one this season and
these are the games you want,” Kings-
ley said. “We are delighted to be there
and it’s a great challenge for everyone.
We absolutely want to do better
against Rangers than we have, 100
percent. It reflects on us as players.
“We didn’t give the best account of
ourselves the last time we played
Rangers at Hampden, so we have that
inspiration of getting to the final
which is the goal for us.”
The good news for the Hearts squad
and head coach Steven Naismith is
that they have lived experience. This is
a squad with individuals who have
Stephen Kingsley in action for Hearts against Greenock Morton at Cappielow on Monday night
Gorgie side want 50-50 ticket split for semi-final
HEARTS are seeking a 50-50 ticket
allocation split for their Scottish Cup
semi-final tie against Rangers.
The draw for the last four of the
competition was made on Monday
following Hearts’ 1-0 victory over
Morton at Cappielow. Aberdeen were
paired with Celtic, as the Jambos
drew Rangers in the following tie.
Both games will take place at
Hampden during the weekend of
April 20 & 21, with the finer details
of the fixtures yet to be announced.
been there, got close to cup success
but have not been able to get across
the line. There may be a theory that if
it happens too much it becomes a
weight or a burden but the pain and
frustration should act as inspiration.
Kingsley subscribes to the latter view.
“I’ve been at Hampden God knows
how many times, so I’m hoping we
can give our best this time,” he said.
“The last time was definitely disap-
pointing. I don’t think we were at it.
We’ve had a couple of tough results
against Rangers. It’s going to be a big
occasion for us so we’ll make sure we
We absolutely want to do better against
Rangers than we have, 100 percent. It
reflects on us as players
It’s understood that Hearts chiefs
will put forward their case with the
Scottish FA for next month’s
showpiece game to have an even
split of supporters inside the
national stadium.
It’s believed all four clubs will
meet with the SFA to discuss the
plans regarding allocations over the
next few days. It’s here that Hearts
will make it known they want 50 per
cent of the tickets.
David Irvine
are ready for it. It’s my fourth year
with Hearts and the previous experi-
ences at Hampden can help. It also
just makes you hungrier to go that
one step further.”
The other semi-final will be of much
intrigue. If Celtic can secure a place in
the final then Hearts will know they
have secured group-stage European
football provided they continue to
keep a stranglehold on third. Of
course, producing a cup win and
third place would cement the season
as one of the club’s since 2005/06.
“We are in a great position in the
English League 2
AFC Wimbledon
Bradford City
2 Gillingham
0 Forest Green Rovers
0
2
Colchester United P Doncaster Rovers P
Crawley Town
Crewe Alexandra
2 Notts County
1 Sutton United
1
0
Grimsby Town 1 Milton Keynes Dons 0
Newport County
Swindon Town
5 Morecambe
1 Accrington Stanley
3
2
Tranmere Rovers 2 Mansfield Town 1
Walsall
Wrexham
1 Barrow
0 Harrogate
1
0
league,” Kingsley noted. “I’m not an
idiot – we are 13 points clear of fourth
place and people will be thinking we
Alcaraz breezes into
are out on our own. But as players, we
can never think like that. If you start
Indian Wells quarters
thinking like that, you are setting
yourself up for a big fall. WORLD No.2 Carlos Alcaraz raced
“We’ve got Ross County away on into the quarter-finals of the BNP
Saturday which is going to be a tough Paribas Open with a straight-sets win
fixture. We always get tough games over Fabian Marozsan in Indian Wells.
up there. We need to win that and The Spaniard, bidding to become the
move on to the next one. And what a first player to defend the title since
carrot we’ve now got to look forward Novak Djokovic in 2016, won 6-3 6-3 in
to in a few weeks at Hampden.” an hour and a quarter.
Meanwhile, reflecting on the 1-0 Hungarian Marozsan, 24, came into
win over Greenock Morton, the the match with a rare winning head-to-
victory could have been more comfort- head record against Alcaraz, having
able if the chances Kingsley created beaten him on the Rome clay last year
had been converted. He twice put in in their only previous meeting, one of
tantalising crosses, one of which was the shock results of the season.
headed over from close range by Beni The Wimbledon champion quickly
Baningime and then slipped in Aidan went about taking his revenge, winning
Denholm with a cute pass. If those four games in a row from 3-2 down to
had been converted the defender take the first set.
could have been consulting his A solitary break for 4-2 in the second
contract to see about an assist bonus. proved enough to wrap up the match
He said: “I could have got about six and book a last-eight meeting with
against Morton if Aidan and Beni Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur.
had their shooting boots on! “Honestly I was nervous before the
“It was good we were creating match, playing against someone who
those chances. As I said, it does get beat you, let’s say easily, it was difficult
nervy the longer it goes at 0-0 but on a for me to approach the game,” Alcaraz
tough pitch, as long as you keep doing said. “But I’m happy with the win.
the things you are good at you hope Today I knew better what I needed to
you are going to take one of those do than in Rome.”
chances.
“I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t get
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 11th seed
from Greece, was on the end of an
a couple of assists but we got the win
and that’s the main thing.”
upset as he slipped to a 6-2 6-4 defeat to
Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka.
8 RUGBY UNION GUINNESS SIX NATIONS
Nash and
Frawley on
track to be
fit for finale
ED ELLIOT
IRELAND pair Calvin Nash and
Ciaran Frawley are on track to
feature in Saturday’s Guinness Six
Nations title decider with Scotland,
according to assistant coach Simon
Easterby.
Munster wing Nash, who was
forced off by a head injury inside five
minutes of the 23-22 round-four
defeat to England, trained with
Andy Farrell’s squad yesterday.
Versatile Leinster back Frawley
came on to replace Nash at Twicken-
ham but departed with a similar
issue 10 minutes into the second
half. He is understood to be under-
going rehab with his province.
“Obviously Nashy and Frawls
have to go through the process and
return to contact and then the
return-to-play part of that is making
sure they don’t have symptoms,”
Easterby told a press conference,
according to the Irish Independent.
“Those symptoms would put them
back a day, but they are both on
track to be up for selection this
weekend.”
Ireland will retain the champion-
ship crown by avoiding defeat
against the Scots in Dublin, while
two losing bonus points would also
be sufficient.
Their pursuit of successive Grand
Slams was ended in agonising fash-
ion by a last-gasp Marcus Smith
drop goal in south-west London.
Easterby insists Ireland cannot
afford to “feel sorry for ourselves”
ahead of a pivotal St Patrick’s week-
end at the Aviva Stadium.
“Expectation within the group is
high,” he said.
“Obviously the previous games
during the Six Nations had been
good, (but) we still feel there are
things every week that we can get
better at.
“We just didn’t get on the front
foot enough versus England. We let
them come at us and get momentum.
“We weren’t at our best, but we
could have won it.
“It’s important we tidy that up, get
over it, and there’s plenty to play for
this week.
“Like any team that loses and has
high expectations of themselves,
they’re disappointed in how they
performed.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.
We need to pick ourselves up for
Saturday.”
Calvin Nash was back in
training for Ireland yesterday
Tandy insists
Scots have
no mentality
issue despite
collapses
Defence coach says lapses in focus
were behind slip-ups this campaign
Gavin Harper
Rugby writer
S
COTLAND defence coach
Steve Tandy has insisted
there is not a psychological
frailty within the squad,
despite them throwing
away a 12-point lead
against Italy.
The second-half collapse at the
Stadio Olimpico came after Scotland
saw a 27-0 lead whittled down to a
one-point margin by a rampant Wales
in the Six Nations opener in Cardiff
last month.
Tandy though said he doesn’t feel it
is a problem.
“I’d never question our mental
toughness,” the Welshman said.
“Look at the England game – if you
lack mental toughness you’re not
going to come back from 10-0 down
and win the Calcutta Cup, and that
was coming after France when we
feel we’d been hard done by but came
back and produced a performance.
“There is definitely mental tough-
ness, I believe, in this group. There
are definitely areas we need to
develop and keep growing and
produce more consistent passages in
play and ultimately wrestle that
momentum back.”
Tandy said lapses of concentration
Wednesday March 13, 2024
– particularly in their backfield
defence – cost Scotland in Rome, and
was frustrated by the three tries they
shipped.
He added: “The tries do look soft.
Large parts of the defence, physically,
the boys were pitching in, but looking
at the first half, we should have done
better with the first try. We should
have been in a better position to cover
those kicks.
“In the second half we should have
been better with both tries.
“We’ve had a massive pride around
our defence and we’ve shown for
45-50 minutes in Wales what we can
do. Physically we matched up to
France and then you look at England
where one sloppy moment cost us a
try.
“That’s part of where we’ve got to
grow because I think the physical
stuff, we’re definitely pitching in.
“It’s those little moments of
concentration we’ve got to be better
because we’re going to need to do it
for 80 minutes at the weekend.”
Tandy said the review of the match
by the players and coaches was forth-
right, and he acknowledged Scotland Steve Tandy in Scotland training.
haven’t yet hit their best in the The coach was disappointed to
championship. see Scotland give away a 27-0
He knows that will need to change lead in Rome at the weekend
if they are to end 14 years without a
win in Dublin on Saturday.
“Everyone is absolutely disap-
It’s something we are game. We are always looking hard in
the mirror, and looking at how we can
pointed,” he said. continually working learn from one of the worst moments,
“There is a sense that we have
missed an opportunity and haven’t
on. And when you work which is losing big Test matches.”
Scotland found themselves once
produced the level of performance we on stuff, it doesn’t all more on the wrong end of a hefty
want to.
“It’s something we are continually
go one way – there are penalty count in Rome, with the
visitors pinged on 12 occasions to
working on. And when you work on a lot of speedbumps Italy’s five.
stuff, it doesn’t all go one way – there
are a lot of speedbumps along the
along the way, just as in While Townsend criticised Ben
O’Keeffe for his handling of the
way, just as in normal life. normal life Wales match Tandy had no qualms
“But you’ve got to get over them about the decisions made in Rome by
and learn from them. That’s the good Australian Angus Gardner.
thing about our group – they’re fully He said: “We felt the penalty count
aware of those moments. There is no was probably fair. There weren’t
excuse-making or hiding behind many quibbles in terms of those
things. decisions.
“We are striving to be better every “Sometimes there is a spiral of
Wednesday March 13, 2024
control. But we can wrestle that back,
whether it be with the penalty count,
or a better defensive set, and get back
into the game.”
Scotland travel to Dublin with
painful memories of their last meet-
ing with Ireland, a 36-14 drubbing
that saw Townsend’s side dumped
out of the World Cup.
But despite the Paris hammering
coming just five months ago, the
former Waratahs and Ospreys coach
believes Scotland have made enough
progress since to turn that result
around.
He added: “There was lots of
reflection from the World Cup,
looking hard at our game. There was
definitely things we learned and
where we needed to grow.
“We feel we’ve grown in large
aspects and we’ve definitely improved
since that game, but there’s no bigger
test to go and find out than to go to
BADMINTON YONEX ALL ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 9
Ireland in front of a full house and
they are playing for the champion-
ship. It will be an unbelievable test.”
Tandy admitted Scotland were
taught a lesson the last time the sides
met and knows Scotland must be at
their very best if they are to cause an
upset.
He said: “Ireland are an unbelieva-
ble team. We know it’s going to be a
physical encounter and Ireland will
be raring to go after the back of their
first defeat in a long time, and obvi-
ously they’re in [contention for] the
championship.
“We know the task we’re undertak-
ing and we know the focus and
mentality we’re going to need on
Saturday.”
“If you look at Ireland’s record, the
team they’ve got, the trophies they’ve
been involved in, we will have to
produce one of the best performances
definitely.”
Millar-Mills
signs new
deal with
Northampton
SCOTLAND prop Elliot Millar-Mills
has signed a new deal to remain
with Northampton Saints.
The 31-year-old prop has
made 16 appearances for the
club since he signed towards the
end of last season.
Millar-Mills initially joined Saints
during an unsettled season
where he represented Edinburgh,
Bath and the Barbarians having
started the campaign with Wasps
before their demise.
The tighthead made his
Scotland debut in the win over
Wales in round one of the Six
Nations and now has three Test
caps. In playing international
rugby, he has followed in the
footsteps of older sisters Bridget
and Harriet, who represented
Scotland and England Women
respectively.
Northampton Saints director of
rugby Phil Dowson said: “Elliot’s
had an unorthodox journey
through rugby.
“He’s played in the Premiership,
URC, Championship, and within
the National League pyramid as
well and due to some pretty
unfortunate circumstances, played
for five clubs last season alone.
“It was a brutal year, especially
for a guy with a young family. But
Elliot is very, very intelligent, picks
things up quickly, and has been
consistent whenever he’s played
for us.
“That’s been rewarded with a
few caps for Scotland now and I
am so pleased for him to be
involved in a successful period
with them.
“The big thing for Elliot after
last season was that he wanted
to put some roots down
somewhere and show what he’s
capable of.
“He’s grabbed his
opportunities with both hands,
and to have such a big impact
here and then get called up to
Scotland as well in just one
season in Northampton is really
impressive.”
Millar-Mills began his playing
career with Stockport and
Macclesfield, before a successful
trial period with Leeds Carnegie
yielded a full-time contract and an
initial move north of the border to
Edinburgh.
After turning out 44 times for
Ealing Trailfinders in three seasons
in the Championship winning the
Championship Cup with the West
London outfit in 2019 Millar Mills
joined Wasps in the summer of
2021 and made 21 appearances
in all competitions.
After Wasps’ demise, Millar-
Mills had short stints with Bath,
Edinburgh and the Barbarians
before walking through the door
at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s
Gardens.
Mark McDougall
Kirsty Gilmour in action at the YONEX All England Championships
Gilmour gutted to lose
with Olympic points up
for grabs in Birmingham
MILLY McEVOY
KIRSTY GILMOUR admitted she
struggled for freedom as she lost in
the first round of the YONEX All
England Open Badminton
Championships yesterday.
The Bellshill native’s defeat ended
Scottish involvement in the
tournament in Birmingham after
Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall lost
in the men’s doubles earlier on the
opening day.
Gilmour lost 21-17, 21-16 to
Pornpawee Chochuwong of
Thailand in the women’s singles
round of 16 as she was beaten by a
player ranked 11 places above her.
“I’m disappointed,” the 30-year-
old. “I don’t think I really reached
the same level of freedom that I have
in my last few tournaments.
“And in the last few tournaments,
I’ve been a whisker away from
winning some pretty long, tough
games and I don’t feel like I had that
freedom here.
“But I’ve just got to keep putting
myself in these positions and I’m really
trying to put everything I have into
every game which might sound silly
because you obviously always do that,
but in a really true sense and trying not
to be too inhibited by anything.
“I don’t think I managed to do
that very well, there were too many
thoughts going on in my brain, so I
am a little underwhelmed, bit
disappointed and frustrated.”
Players have until 28 April to collect
ranking points in the race to Paris
2024 with the top 35 women’s singles
players set to be offered a place.
Gilmour currently sits at 25 in the
world but knows she has missed out
on vital points at one of badminton’s
highest-ranked and most prestigious
tournaments.
The Glasgow-based player traded
the lead with Chochuwong early in
the first game but had to fight back
from six points behind to narrow the
gap to just one in the second.
The Thai player pulled away in
both games to leave Gilmour
questioning what could have been.
She added: “Because I have been
just so within touching distance
recently, I maybe got a bit desperate
to get that win over a higher-ranked
player. We’re coming to the end of
Olympic qualifying, everyone’s trying
to squeeze every last point out of this.
“I don’t think she actually did her
best and I wish I could have gotten
on top of that more, but I think
everyone has got that little
desperation to them.”
Meanwhile, Dunn and Hall lost
out to Indonesian pairing
Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and
Bagas Maulana 21-18 21-16.
Hall, from Mauchline, explained
how again in their career, luck was
not on their side as Dunn entered
the All England Open off the back of
an injury.
He said: “We’ve not been able to
be on court much together so we
actually managed to put a really
good game together.
“We just weren’t as sharp as we
would have liked and that has been
the case for the last few
tournaments, we’ve not been as
sharp as you need to be at this level.
“We’ve played together for seven
years and I think there’s been a solid
two weeks in that time where both
of us have been fully fit.
“Unfortunately, it is quite a
common thing for us as a pair, Lady
Luck has not been our side.”
For Dunn, how well they
performed despite the
circumstances was bittersweet but it
has given the pair fire in their bellies
ahead of the European
Championships in April.
“We’ve had a couple of
tournaments the last two weeks
where I’ve had some issues with my
back,” the Motherwell native
explained. “I especially didn’t expect
too much going into today so I was
just hoping to play injury-free and be
ok for the European Champs which
is the biggest event in our future.
“We got a little bit close at the end
of the second game to take it to a
third which probably made it worse
in terms of being so close you want it
so much more.”
Be part of All The Action at the All England.
Tickets are still available at allenglandbadminton.
com. Can’t be in Birmingham this week? You can
still see badminton’s most prestigious tournament
play out on BBC Sport and TNT Sports. Don’t
miss a minute!
10 RACING RESULTS, CARDS Wednesday March 13, 2024

Going: Soft-heavy in places; cross country: heavy-soft in places (inspection of

CHELTENHAM cross country course - 8am). TV: ITV1: 1.30, 2.10, 2.50, 3.30, 4.10. Racing TV. HUNTINGDON Going: Soft-good to soft in places. TV: Racing TV.

1.30
1
GALLAGHER NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)
(CLASS 1) of £135,000 for 4yo plus. 2m 5f
211 BALLYBURN (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-7 P Townend
25 5-02 ZANNDABAD (A J Martin (IRE) ) 5-10-2
Betting 9-2 Sa Majeste, 6 Doddiethegreat, 7 Built By Ballymore, Langer Dan, 12
Lucky Place, Brazil, 14 First Street, Jigoro, Might I, 16 Others.
D King (3)
4.50
1
HANDICAP CHASE (PREMIER HANDICAP)
(CLASS 1) of £125,000 for 5yo plus. 2m
106 DANCING ON MY OWN cd,t (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 10-12-0 Rachael Blackmore 1
1.10 BET ON CHELTENHAM AT RHINO BET HANDICAP CHASE
(CLASS 5) of £8,500 for 5yo plus. 3m
013 TWENTY TWENTY d,v (G L Moore) 9-12-0 N F Houlihan
3.50
1
HANDICAP HURDLE (CLASS 5)
of £7,750 for 4yo plus. 2m
4-P7 SPIRIT OF REGULUS (D McCain) 6-12-0 B Hughes
Last year Langer Dan (7-11-4) Harry Skelton (9-1) D Skelton, 26 ran. 2 345 SAINT ROI c,d,t (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 9-11-10 M P Walsh 2 5P3 GRASSHOPPER TIME (A Hales) 6-11-10 H Bannister
2 111 HANDSTANDS (B Pauling) 5-11-7 H Cobden 2 164 KANKIN c (A Hales) 8-12-0 B Carver
3
4
5
2-12 ILE ATLANTIQUE bf (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-7
2-21 JIMMY DU SEUIL (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7
211 JINGKO BLUE d (N Henderson) 5-11-7
Mr P W Mullins
S O’Keeffe
N De Boinville
3.30
1
BETWAY QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE (GRADE 1)
(CLASS 1) of £400,000 for 5yo plus. 2m
1FF BOOTHILL d,t (H Fry) 9-11-10 J J Burke
3
4
5
433 MASKADA cd (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 8-11-8
513 SOLNESS bf,t (J P O’Brien (IRE) ) 6-11-7
F12 SA FUREUR d (G Elliott (IRE) ) 7-11-3
D J O’Keeffe
J J Slevin
J W Kennedy
3 21/P CALL OFF THE DOGS (G L Moore) 9-11-11
4 1-0P RAMORE WILL d (C Gordon) 13-11-7
5 809 DUSAUTIOR d,t,p (O Greenall & J Guerriero) 6-11-5
M Goldstein
F Gordon (5)
H Brooke
3
4
5
43-4 SANITISER (G L Moore) 5-11-9
789 KING OF THE ROAD (B Pauling) 5-11-9
470 RULER LEGEND (Jonjo O’Neill) 5-11-6
N F Houlihan
B R Jones
R McLernon
6 2-31 MERCUREY (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-7 B Hayes 6 611 MADARA cd,t,p (Mrs S Leech) 5-11-1 J Reveley 6 P11 GALWAY MAHLER cd,t,p (K Jewell) 7-11-5 B R Jones 6 P/0P- CHRONOS (P Webber) 7-10-6 R Dingle
2 1P3 CAPTAIN GUINNESS d (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 9-11-10 Rachael Blackmore 7 242 CALICO d,t,p (D Skelton) 8-11-1 T Durrell (3) 7 66P ORBYS RIVER (S Allwood) 6-10-4 Toby Wynne (3)
7 122 PREDATORS GOLD bf (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 D E Mullins 7 224 SUPASUNRISE c,p (N Twiston-Davies) 8-11-4 F Lambert (5)
3 241 EDWARDSTONE cd (A King) 10-11-10 T Cannon 8 F22 PATH D’OROUX d,t,p (G Cromwell (IRE) ) 7-11-0 K M Donoghue 8 54P ONNAROLL (Cynthia Woods) 6-10-2 P Armson (3)
8 522 THE GREY MAN (H Dickin) 5-11-7 B Poste 8 621 MARTALMIX’JAC (Mrs M Rowley) 7-11-1 A Edwards
4 1-11 EL FABIOLO cd (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 7-11-10 P Townend 9 021 HARPER’S BROOK (B Pauling) 8-10-12 K Woods Betting 6-4 Ruler Legend, 4 Grasshopper Time, Sanitiser, 7 King Of The Road, 8
Betting 1-2 Ballyburn, 9-2 Ile Atlantique, 8 Predators Gold, 14 Handstands, 9 4UP DOYENS DE ANTE cd,t,p (M Young) 8-11-0 C Hammond
5 131 ELIXIR DE NUTZ cd,t,p (J Tizzard) 10-11-10 F Gingell 10 F11 LIBBERTY HUNTER cd (E Williams) 8-10-11 H Cobden 10 003 FAMILY POT d,t,p (Sheila Lewis) 9-10-11 Spirit Of Regulus, 16 Onnaroll, 20 Orbys River, 50 Chronos.
16 Jingko Blue, 25 Mercurey, Jimmy Du Seuil, 200 The Grey Man. C Brace
6 362 FUNAMBULE SIVOLA d (V Williams) 9-11-10 C Deutsch 11 549 UNEXPECTED PARTY (D Skelton) 9-10-10 H Skelton 11 P43 EST ILLIC d,p (S-J Davies) 10-10-8 Last year Telhimlisten (7-11-8) Sean Quinlan (2-13) Fav J Candlish, 4 ran.
Last year Impaire Et Passe (5-11-7) Paul Townend (5-2) W P Mullins, 10 ran. Tabitha Worsley (3)
7 4-24 GENTLEMAN DE MEE d,h,t (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 8-11-10 M P Walsh 12 315 TRIPLE TRADE cd (J Tizzard) 8-10-10 B J Powell 12 P0P DEJA ROUGE (Kate Hazard) 7-10-7

2.10
BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 1)
(CLASS 1) of £181,125 for 5yo plus. 3m 110yds
1 141 AMERICAN MIKE d,t (G Elliott (IRE) ) 7-11-7
2 211 FACT TO FILE d (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 7-11-7
3 2P1 GIOVINCO d (L Russell) 7-11-7
4.30
L Edwards BOOST YOUR FESTIVAL WINNINGS AT RHINO.BET
8 112 JONBON bf,cd (N Henderson) 8-11-10 N De Boinville 13 2D-5 GEMIRANDE d (V Williams) 8-10-6 C Deutsch 13 P63 BOYS OF WEXFORD (Henry Oliver) 7-10-6 D Noonan
Betting 8-15 El Fabiolo, 7-2 Jonbon, 7 Edwardstone, 14 Captain Guinness, 25 14 918 THE FOLKES TIARA (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 8-10-5 J J Burke 14 3PP BOLBERRY DOWN (K Jewell) 8-10-2 R Dingle HANDICAP CHASE (5) of £8,500 for 5yo plus. 2m 4f
J W Kennedy
Elixir De Nutz, 33 Gentleman De Mee, 50 Boothill, 100 Funambule Sivola. 15 2P6 FRERE D’ARMES d,t,p (D Skelton) 7-10-5 Ciaran Gethings Betting 4 Martalmix’jac, 9-2 Galway Mahler, 6 Boys Of Wexford, 7 Supasunrise, 1 7PP GRASSE D’OLIVERIE (A Hales) 7-12-0 H Bannister
M P Walsh Last year Energumene (9-11-10) Paul Townend (6-5) Fav W P Mullins, 7 ran. 16 22-3 HARDY DU SEUIL d,p (J Snowden) 7-10-4 G Sheehan 8 Est Illic, Twenty Twenty, 10 Family Pot, 12 Kankin, 14 Others. 2 532 PEARLY ISLAND cd,p (L Wadham) 8-12-0 B Hughes
S Mulqueen FORM: EL FABIOLO 4-11fav (11-12) Tracked leader in 2nd, took keen hold, not 17 136 THE KING OF PRS bf,d,t,p (G Cromwell (IRE) ) 6-10-4 S W Flanagan
Last year Spotty Dog (8-11-12) Liam Harrison(3) (7-2) JtFav M Hawker, 8 ran. 3 433 GENEROUS DAY d (Henry Oliver) 12-11-12 A Edwards
fluent 4th, jumped right 6th, disputed last (usual 2 out) and soon led travelling Betting 6 Libberty Hunter, 13-2 Saint Roi, 7 Madara, Harper’s Brook, 8 Sa Fureur, 4 2P3 AVILES (G L Moore) 5-11-12 N F Houlihan

1.50
4 P-31 MONTY’S STAR d (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 7-11-7 Rachael Blackmore
5 422 SANDOR CLEGANE (P Nolan (IRE) ) 7-11-7 S O’Keeffe well, pushed out inside final furlong, kept on well, easily, won at Leopardstown Path D’oroux, Maskada, 14 Dancing On My Own, Hardy Du Seuil, Unexpected FOLLOW US ON X AT BETRHINO MARES’ HANDICAP 5 423 OUT ON THE TEAR (S Allwood) 10-11-11 C J Todd
6 113 STAY AWAY FAY bf,cd,t,p (P Nicholls) 7-11-7 H Cobden 2m 1f chs G1 (1) in Feb beating Dinoblue (11-5) by 9l, 5 ran. JONBON 1-4fav (11- Party, 16 Others. HURDLE (CLASS 5) of £7,750 for 4yo plus. 2m 5f 6 PP5 MASTER MALCOLM cd,b,t (Mrs E Bishop) 7-11-11 J Best
Betting 10-11 Fact To File, 3 Stay Away Fay, 11-2 Monty’s Star, 10 American 10) Handy, went 2nd before 10th, bad mistake and nearly unseated rider 4 out, Last year Maskada (7-11-1) Darragh O’Keeffe (22-1) H De Bromhead, 19 ran. 7 84P TOP OF THE BAY (O Greenall & J Guerriero) 7-11-10 Toby Wynne (3)
1 332 OUR BILL’S AUNT (A Hales) 8-12-0 Harriet Tucker (7)

5.30
Mike, 16 Sandor Clegane, 20 Giovinco. dropped to in touch 4th, pushed along and headway into 2nd before 2 out, led WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER (STANDARD OPEN NH 2 8-22 VILLAINESS bf (R Bandey) 6-11-13 H Bannister 8 356 TRAPISTA cd (Jonjo O’Neill) 7-11-9 R McLernon
Last year The Real Whacker (7-11-7) Sam Twiston-Davies (8-1) P Neville, 10 ran. narrowly 2 out, headed and ridden after last, soon hung left, stayed on run-in but 3 531 A TICKATICKATIMING (Miss S West) 6-11-12 M Goldstein 9 05-0 VENGEANCE (W De Best-Turner) 6-11-8 B Carver
just held towards finish, 2nd of 5, nk behind Elixir De Nutz (11-10) at Cheltenham FLAT RACE) (GRADE 1) (1) of £80,000 for 4yo to 6yo. 2m 10 846 EYED cd,t (P Webber) 7-11-8 T Bellamy

2.50
CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE (PREMIER HANDICAP)
(CLASS 1) of £100,000 for 4yo plus. 2m 5f
1 133 BALLYADAM (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 9-12-0 Rachael Blackmore
2 P16 MAXXUM (G Elliott (IRE) ) 7-11-12 J Coen (3)
3 P13 DA CAPO GLORY (Padraig Butler) 7-11-12 Mr Darragh Allen (7)
4 P42 BEACON EDGE d (G Elliott (IRE) ) 10-11-12 D Gilligan (3)
4 P66 PORTER IN THE PARK cd (E Lavelle) 7-11-11 T Bellamy
2m chs G1 (1) gs in Jan. EDWARDSTONE 11-10fav (11-8) Jumped well, raced 1 1 ARGENTO BOY d (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 B Hayes
5 446 POLITACUS (F O’Brien) 6-11-10 L Harrison 11 P55 CALVIC (S Edmunds) 8-11-0 C Hammond
freely and made all, soon clear, brushed 3 out, well in control when left further 2 1-11 BILL JOYCE d (Jonjo O’Neill) 5-11-7 Jonjo O’Neill Jr 12 332 SANTA CLARITA (T Symonds) 6-10-9 B R Jones
3 1-2 C’EST TA CHANCE bf (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 D Jacob 6 P93 STOPHERANDGO (K Pickard) 7-11-7 B Carver
clear 2 out, unchallenged, won at Newbury 2m chs G2 (1) hvy in Feb beating 13 37P CLOUDY WEDNESDAY cd,p (C Fryer) 8-10-2 L Stones (3)
4 1-31 CANTICO d (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 P Townend 7 668 REGALLY BLONDE (B Case) 5-10-13 J Quinlan
Funambule Sivola (11-8) by 40l, 4 ran. CAPTAIN GUINNESS 16-1 (11-12) Held 8 271 MAJESTIC JAMEELA (S Edmunds) 4-10-13 C Hammond
Betting 9-2 Santa Clarita, 5 Aviles, Pearly Island, 6 Generous Day, 10 Trapista,
up in touch, not fluent 2nd, 4th halfway, not fluent 3 out (usual 4 out), pushed 5 13 CELTIC DINO d (S Thomas) 5-11-7 S Twiston-Davies Out On The Tear, 12 Calvic, Eyed, 14 Others.
6 4-21 FARLAND d,h (P Nicholls) 5-11-7 F Gingell 9 2P8 HAPPY INDEX d (P Webber) 6-10-2 James Davies
along and no impression after last (usual 2 out), ridden in 3rd over 1f out, edged Last year Luckofthedraw (10-11-6) Jordan Nailor (7-4) T Bulgin, 3 ran.
7 2 FISHERY LANE (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 M J M O’Sullivan Betting 3 Villainess, 7-2 Majestic Jameela, 9-2 A Tickatickatiming, 6 Our Bill’s

5.00
5 233 FIRST STREET d (N Henderson) 7-11-10 Paul O’Brien left under 1f out, kept on one pace, 3rd of 5, 15l behind El Fabiolo (11-12) at Aunt, Politacus, 10 Porter In The Park, 14 Happy Index, 16 Stopherandgo, 25 FOLLOW RHINO.BET ON INSTAGRAM OPEN NH FLAT
8 1-11 JALON D’OUDAIRIES d (G Elliott (IRE) ) 5-11-7 J W Kennedy
6 213 MIGHT I (H Fry) 8-11-9 J J Burke Leopardstown 2m 1f chs G1 (1) in Feb. Regally Blonde.
9 1-1 JASMIN DE VAUX (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 Mr P W Mullins RACE (CLASS 5) of £4,000 for 4yo to 6yo. 2m

4.10
7 0-P0 BRAZIL c,t (P Roche (IRE) ) 6-11-9 Aidan Kelly (5) GLENFARCLAS CHASE (CROSS COUNTRY) (CLASS 2) 10 1-2 KINGSTON PRIDE bf (N Henderson) 5-11-7 N De Boinville Last year Corey’s Courage (7-12-2) Lewis Stones(5) (11-4) O Murphy, 7 ran. 1 BALLYWITE (D Skelton) 5-11-5 F Gillard
8 4/P1- FINEST EVERMORE (P Hennessy (IRE) ) 8-11-9 B Hayes

2.30
of £75,000 for 5yo plus. 3m 5f 11 2-1 QUEBECOIS (P Nicholls) 5-11-7 L Williams READ HENRY BROOKE ON BLOG RHINOBET NOVICES’ 2 33 FRENCH SYMPHONY (B Pauling) 5-11-5 B R Jones
9 4F1 MARK OF GOLD d (G L Moore) 7-11-8 R Hargreaves (7) 12 1-1 ROMEO COOLIO d (G Elliott (IRE) ) 5-11-7 K M Donoghue
1 53B BODHISATTVA (J McConnell (IRE) ) 7-11-7 B Harvey HURDLE (CLASS 4) of £7,500 for 4yo plus. 2m 5f 3 5 GOT A DREAM (Nicky Martin) 5-11-5 D Noonan
10 P90 LANGER DAN cd (D Skelton) 8-11-8 H Skelton 13 1-11 ROYAL INFANTRY d (D Skelton) 5-11-7 H Skelton
2 121 COKO BEACH (G Elliott (IRE) ) 9-11-7 S Ewing 4 4 JACKPOT D’AINAY (O Murphy) 5-11-5 S Bowen
11 123 JIGORO (G Elliott (IRE) ) 5-11-8 J W Kennedy 14 U2-1 SIXMILEBRIDGE d (B Pauling) 5-11-7 K Woods 1 122 INEDIT STAR bf,t (N Kent) 6-11-12 C Hammond
3 366 DELTA WORK c,b,t (G Elliott (IRE) ) 11-11-7 J W Kennedy 5 0 JOHN BALLIOL (G Baker) 5-11-5 Doubtful
12 16-1 SA MAJESTE (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-7 M P Walsh 15 21 SOUNDS VICTORIUS d (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-7 S O’Keeffe 2 221 JOUR D’EVASION (H Daly) 5-11-12 A Stevens (5)
4 P2P DIDERO VALLIS (V Williams) 11-11-7 C Deutsch 6 2 LITTLE BIG KEV (R Phillips) 5-11-5 F Lambert (5)
13 5F1 WESTERN FOLD (G Elliott (IRE) ) 5-11-7 S Ewing 16 11 TEESHAN (P Nicholls) 5-11-7 H Cobden 3 R-3F BROUGHSHANE (Jonjo O’Neill) 6-11-5 R McLernon 7 6 LOCKED ON (Jack Jones) 5-11-5 T Bellamy
14 811 BUILT BY BALLYMORE d,t,p (M Brassil (IRE) ) 6-11-6 J J Slevin 5 967 DIESEL D’ALLIER c,t,p (R Bandey) 11-11-7 B J Powell 17 11-4 THE YELLOW CLAY d (G Elliott (IRE) ) 5-11-7 J Gainford 4 0P6 CAPTAIN HOWSE (K Jewell) 5-11-5 M Goldstein 8 53 LUMI PLUGIN (G L Moore) 5-11-5 N F Houlihan
15 140 BENSON (A M Thomson) 9-11-6 R Mania 6 733 FAMEAFTERTHEGLORY (G Cromwell (IRE) ) 8-11-7 S W Flanagan 18 51 TRIPOLI FLYER d (F O’Brien) 5-11-7 P Brennan 5 245- SEIGNEUR DES AS (Anthony Charlton) 6-11-5 B Harris (3) 9 STAR ARTIST (H Morrison) 5-11-5 D Bass
16 F47 FRANCISCAN ROCK (M F Morris (IRE) ) 7-11-5 R A Doyle 7 314 FOXY JACKS bf,cd,p (M F Morris (IRE) ) 10-11-7 Gavin Brouder 19 114 UNION AVENUE d (J Moffatt) 5-11-7 D McMenamin 6 3-5 SHY LOVE bf (F O’Brien) 6-11-5 C Brace 10 WALDEN (T H Weston) 4-10-9 L Stones (3)
17 122 LUCKY PLACE (N Henderson) 5-11-4 J Bowen 8 425 FRANCKY DU BERLAIS (P Bowen) 11-11-7 J Bowen 20 112 YOU OUGHTA KNOW d,h (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-7 D E Mullins 7 444 MOST AGREEABLE (C Fryer) 6-10-12 L Stones (3) Betting 9-4 French Symphony, 7-2 Star Artist, 9-2 Jackpot D’ainay, 5 Ballywite, 8
18 U/54 GUARD YOUR DREAMS c (N Twiston-Davies) 8-11-4 S Twiston-Davies 9 854 GALVIN c (G Elliott (IRE) ) 10-11-7 K M Donoghue 21 11 FLEUR AU FUSIL d,h (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-0 Miss J Townend Betting 11-10 Inedit Star, 9-2 Broughshane, 5 Seigneur Des As, Jour D’evasion, 6 Lumi Plugin, 10 Little Big Kev, 16 Got A Dream, 33 Locked On, 50 Others.
19 8-48 SHANBALLY KID (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 7-11-1 M J M O’Sullivan 10 144 MINELLA INDO c (H De Bromhead (IRE) ) 11-11-7 Rachael Blackmore 22 11- JUNTA MARVEL d (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 6-11-0 Rachael Blackmore Shy Love, 100 Captain Howse, Most Agreeable. Last year Supremely West (5-11-12) C Hammond (3-1) Dr R Newland & J Insole, 6 ran.
20 147 LOMBRON (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 5-11-0 D E Mullins 11 624 STATTLER c,t (W P Mullins (IRE) ) 9-11-7 Mr P W Mullins 23 229 DIRTY DEN (S Hosie) 4-10-11 M G Nolan Last year Space Voyage (6-11-5) Lewis Stones(5) (5-2) O Murphy, 7 ran.
21 124 DODDIETHEGREAT d (N Henderson) 8-10-13 N De Boinville 12 105 STREETS OF DOYEN c,v (J McConnell (IRE) ) 10-11-7 Mr A Harvey 24 831 STAVVY d (J Chapple-Hyam) 4-10-11 Bryony Frost
22
23
619 RAMBO T d (O Murphy) 7-10-12
4P2 SUPREME GIFT (H Daly) 7-10-10
G Sheehan
Doubtful
Betting 2 Minella Indo, 11-4 Delta Work, 3 Coko Beach, 5 Galvin, 12 Foxy Jacks,
14 Stattler, 33 Fameaftertheglory, 66 Others.
Betting 11-2 Jasmin De Vaux, 6 Jalon D’oudairies, 7 Teeshan, 8 The Yellow Clay,
Romeo Coolio, 10 You Oughta Know, Cantico, 12 Argento Boy, 14 Others. 3.10 DAILY CHELTENHAM OFFERS AT RHINO.BET MAIDEN
HURDLE (CLASS 4) of £7,500 for 4yo plus. 2m White & Gold
24 166 BLACK BAMBOO (John Murphy (IRE) ) 7-10-9 S W Flanagan Last year Delta Work (10-11-7) Keith Donoghue (11-10) Fav G Elliott, 16 ran. Last year A Dream To Share (5-11-7) Mr J L Gleeson (7-2) J E Kiely, 21 ran. 1 36 ARTHURIAN FABLE (R Bandey) 7-11-6 H Bannister HUNTINGDON NEWCASTLE
2 483 BADLANDS BOY (D McCain) 5-11-6 B Hughes 1.10 Martalmix’jac 4.36 Kings Merchant
3 1-68 FLASH IN THE PARK (B Pauling) 6-11-6 B R Jones 1.50 Majestic Jameela 5.10 Dubawi Time
KEMPTON Going: Standard to slow. Draw: No advantage. TV: Racing TV. 4
5
6
328 GREGORIAN DIAMOND (M Young) 6-11-6
543 JACKPOT CASH bf (E Williams) 5-11-6
4 MIRABAD bf,t (Dr R Newland & J Insole) 5-11-6
Tabitha Worsley (3)
S Bowen
C Hammond
2.30 Shy Love
3.10 Mount Gallion
5.45 Mon Etoile
6.15 Noble Order
6.45 Woodstock
5.20 1
UNIBET MORE BOOSTS IN MORE RACES NOVICE
STAKES (CLASS 5) of £7,000 for 3yo Only. 1m 3f
31- ASSAILANT (J & T Gosden) 9-11 K Shoemark 3
3
4
5
268-
000-
7-98
FARASI LANE c,d (Dr R Newland & J Insole) 6-9-9
JUST AN HOUR d (B Millman) 4-9-8
DUC DE MORNY (Tom Clover) 4-9-7
K Shoemark
R Coakley
J Mitchell
2
9
10
9
10
11
675
681
018-
DEVIZES cd (P Phelan) 8-9-5
FIDDLERS GREEN cd (J G O’Shea) 5-9-4
SIR JOSEPH SWAN (A Watson) 6-9-4
P Bradley (3)
F Marsh
Hana Macdonald (7)
7
12
4
7
8
9
855 MOUNT GALLION (M Walford) 6-11-6
05 SAINT VIC (E Williams) 5-11-6
P66 SCOUT MASTER (C Dyson) 6-11-6
T Midgley (3)
Doubtful
D Noonan
3.50 Sanitiser
4.30 Generous Day
5.00 Lumi Plugin
7.15 Jenever
7.45 Star Shield
6 522/ NAP HAND (A King) 4-9-4 Rossa Ryan 8 12 7-76 COSMIC VIEW (G L Moore) 4-9-3 T P Queally 6 10 17 LOCKEN LADY (A Hales) 5-10-13 B Carver 8.15 Sugar Hill
2 1- IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN (K R Burke) 9-11 C Lee 6 13 47-9 AURORA CHARM (P Phelan) 4-9-2 R Clutterbuck 5 CHELTENHAM
7 267- DANCING IN PARIS d (I Williams) 4-9-2 L Morris 7 11 78 BATHGATE (T H Weston) 4-10-10 L Stones (3) KEMPTON
3 BRITISH CAMP (A Balding) 9-4 K Stott 2 8 65-7 SEDUCTIVE POWER (B Johnson) 4-9-1 C Shepherd 5 14 443 LOGISTICAL (S Hodgson) 4-9-2 W Carver (3) 11 12 07 KARAKOY (R L Llewellyn) 4-10-10 L Harrison
1.30 Ballyburn 5.20 Imperial Sovereign
4 22- TRIBAL STAR bf (C Appleby) 9-4 W Buick 4 9 796- NIGHT ARC d (R Hannon) 5-8-11 J Leavy (7) 6 Betting 3 Tortured Soul, 9-2 Fiddlers Green, 6 Nivelle’s Magic, 8 Hashtagmetoo, 2.10 Fact To File
5 4 LADY BANCROFT (R Beckett) 8-13 Rossa Ryan 5 13 46 MASTER CHARTWELL (G L Moore) 4-10-10 N F Houlihan 6.00 Star Studied
10 80-2 DESFONDADO (S Dow) 4-8-10 D Probert 3 10 Sir Joseph Swan, Hill Station, Pysanka, 14 Starfighter, Logistical, 16 Others. 14 385 NIGHT STALKER (Miss S West) 4-10-10 M Goldstein 2.50 Langer Dan
6 78 MARY CHESNUT (T Ward) 8-13 D Probert 1 Last year Golden Dove (5-9-11) Darragh Keenan (5-1) S Earle, drawn (9), 12 ran.
6.30 Vultar
Betting 2 Vultar, 9-2 Nap Hand, 5 Desfondado, 7 Bet Me, 10 Farasi Lane, 12 Duc 15 U62 SECRET SAUCE (Anthony Charlton) 4-10-10 B Harris (3) 3.30 El Fabiolo (nap)
Betting 13-8 Tribal Star, 9-4 Imperial Sovereign, 11-4 Assailant, 8 British Camp, 7.00 First Company

8.00
De Morny, 14 Night Arc, Dancing In Paris, 20 Others. RACING TV HANDICAP (CLASS 6) Betting 2 Mirabad, 4 Jackpot Cash, 9-2 Secret Sauce, 6 Arthurian Fable, 8
20 Lady Bancroft, 100 Mary Chesnut. 4.10 Minella Indo 7.30 Tortured Soul
Last year No corresponding race. Badlands Boy, 10 Mount Gallion, 16 Flash In The Park, 20 Night Stalker, 33
Last year Maasai Mara (9-7) Oisin Murphy (15-8) J & T Gosden, drawn (3), 5 ran. of £6,000 for 4yo plus. 7f 4.50 Harper’s Brook 8.00 Sam’s Hope

6.00 TRY UNIBET’S IMPROVED BET BUILDER RESTRICTED

NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 5) of £7,000 for 3yo to 5yo. 1m
7.00 1 461
UNIBET ZERO% MISSION HANDICAP (CLASS 5)
of £8,000 for 4yo plus. 6f
SUPREME KING cd,t (P Evans) 4-9-10(5ex) D Probert 3
1 433 DYNAMIC TALENT bf,cd,b,t (Darryll Holland) 5-9-9
2 677 DAGMAR RUN cd (D M Simcock) 4-9-9
3 1-64 GLOBAL WARNING d (J Butler) 8-9-9
D Probert
L Morris
L Keniry
8
1
3
Others.
Last year Milldam (5-11-6) Gavin Sheehan (15-8) Fav J Snowden, 9 ran.
5.30 You Oughta Know 8.30 Barrel Aged

1 21- BLESSED BOY d (G Boughey) 3-9-7 Billy Loughnane 11 2 98-6 DREAM BY DAY (M Pattinson) 5-9-9 T Whelan 1 4 656 ELECTRIC AVENUE (G Baker) 4-9-6 C Shepherd 7
Going: Standard. Draw: High numbers have a slight advantage over 5f.
2
3
4
1 STAR STUDIED d (J Tate) 3-9-7
94 C’EST ENCORE (S Hodgson) 3-9-0
26- CLOUD FREE (M Bell) 3-9-0
C Lee
W Carver (3)
H Crouch
2
5
7
3
4
125
080-
FIRST COMPANY cd (M Loughnane) 6-9-6
ANIFICAS BEAUTY d,h (G L Moore) 5-9-4
Billy Loughnane
T P Queally
4
6
5 536 SWISS PRIDE c,v (R Teal) 8-9-5
6 0/8-9 ROSE FANDANGO d,p (J G O’Shea) 6-9-5
7 0-51 SAM’S HOPE cd (R Hannon) 4-9-4(5ex)
J Leavy (7)
F Marsh
Alec Voikhansky (5)
2
5
6
NEWCASTLE TV: Sky Sports Racing.
5 143 MAN ON A MISSION cd (P Charalambous & J Clutterbuck) 5-9-4L Morris 2
5 425- FASTER BEE (R Hughes) 3-9-0
6 573- INVINCIBLE NAVY (R Cook & J Bridger) 3-9-0
7 68- TOO BOSSY FOR US (K P De Foy) 3-9-0
F Marsh
Rossa Ryan
D Probert
4
8
9
6
7
462
3-87
GLAMOROUS EXPRESS d,t (A Carroll) 5-9-3
SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX d (J Butler) 4-9-1
Betting 5-4 Supreme King, 4 Glamorous Express, 6 First Company, 7 Man On A
Rossa Ryan
P Bradley (3)
5
7
8 856- LILY IN THE JUNGLE (Dr R Newland & J Insole) 4-9-1 Rossa Ryan
Betting 9-4 Sam’s Hope, 7-2 Dynamic Talent, 4 Global Warning, 7 Lily In The
Jungle, 10 Dagmar Run, Swiss Pride, 12 Electric Avenue, 20 Rose Fandango.
4
4.36 RESTRICTED MAIDEN STAKES (CLASS 5)
of £7,000 for 3yo Only. 5f
1 DANDY DEVIL (R Fahey) 9-7 Oisin Orr 1
7.15
FIND MORE BIG DEALS AT BETUK HANDICAP (CLASS 4)
of £10,500 for 4yo plus. 5f
1 215 STAR OF LADY M d,v (D O’Meara) 4-9-10 D Tudhope 1
8 7- SURREY FORCE (K P De Foy) 3-8-12 J Mitchell 6 Mission, 8 South Dakota Sioux, 14 Dream By Day, 16 Anificas Beauty. Last year Arctician (5-9-8) Luke Morris (5-1) S Dow, drawn (10), 10 ran. 2 04 HIGHLAND LAIRD (J Goldie) 9-7 P Mulrennan 3 2 442 ZARZYNI d,p (D & N Barron) 7-9-9 C Rodriguez 6
9 9-2 TATATEO bf (J Ferguson) 3-8-12 D Muscutt 12

8.30
Last year Dark Side Thunder (4-9-9) Lewis Edmunds (6-1) Jessica Macey, 3 262- KINGS MERCHANT (E Bethell) 9-7 C Rodriguez 4 3 140- PRINCESS KARINE d (B Smart) 5-9-8 A Breslin (3) 2
10 909- ANOTHER JACK (K Jewell) 3-8-10 G Rooke 1 drawn (5), 10 ran.
HANDICAP (CLASS 4) 4 008- OLD BAILEY (N Tinkler) 9-7 R Scott 2 4 5/9-0 HIGH VELOCITY cd (D Loughnane) 5-9-8 Laura Pearson 5
11 97- FOREST SPIRIT (M Bell) 3-8-9 L Morris 10 of £12,000 for 4yo plus. 2m
7.30
5 YORKSHIRE GLORY (B Haslam) 9-5 A Breslin (3) 5 5 211 GUSTAV GRAVES cd (D Shaw) 6-9-8 Joanna Mason 8
12 TEN TO THE TOP (J Osborne) 3-8-7 Josephine Gordon 3 UNIBET MORE EXTRA PLACE RACES HANDICAP 1 84-4 BASCULE bf,c,b (R Hughes) 6-10-2 3 Betting 1-3 Kings Merchant, 11-4 Dandy Devil, 20 Yorkshire Glory, 33 Old Bailey,
Ethan Jones (7) 6 0-24 JENEVER cd (Jessica Macey) 5-9-8 L Edmunds 11
Betting 9-4 Star Studied, 10-3 Tatateo, 7-2 Blessed Boy, 7 Faster Bee, 10 Cloud (CLASS 6) of £6,000 for 4yo plus. 1m 4f 2 608/ TOO FRIENDLY (James Owen) 6-10-0 1 66 Highland Laird.
N Callan 7 774 REIGNING PROFIT d,v (R Carr) 5-9-7 JP Sullivan 3
Free, 12 Invincible Navy, 14 Surrey Force, 20 Ten To The Top, 33 Others. 1 656 HILL STATION d,t (Dr R Newland & J Insole) 5-9-11 K Shoemark 10 3 394 MOLIWOOD cd,b (D Cunha) 6-9-11 5 Last year No corresponding race.
R Clutterbuck 8 1-90 OUR ABSENT FRIENDS cd,t (T Davidson) 6-9-7 P Dennis 10
Last year Woodstock (3-9-3) Charles Bishop (4-5) Fav J Channon, drawn (11),
5.10
2 111 TORTURED SOUL cd (A Carroll) 4-9-11 Rossa Ryan 13 4 2-36 CAPTAIN KANE d (G Scott) 5-9-9 Liam Wright (7)
2 9 434 TYKE (M Appleby) 4-9-6 J Hart 4
14 ran. 3 55-9 HEAD OF STATE (B Johnson) 4-9-11 C Shepherd 2 5 00-6 STEPNEY CAUSEWAY (Anthony Charlton) 7-9-4 R Hornby
4
BEST RACING ODDS GUARANTEED AT BETMGM
10 632 POCKLEY cd,b (Miss L Perratt) 6-9-6 J Peate (3) 9
HANDICAP (CLASS 4) of £10,500 for 3yo Only. 1m 4f
6.30
4 57-2 HASHTAGMETOO d (J Osborne) 7-9-10 S Osborne 14 6 223/ MOEL ARTHUR bf,t (B Johnson) 6-9-4 C Shepherd
6 11 11D BONITO CAVALO bf,cd (J Goldie) 5-9-4 P Mulrennan 7
UNIBET SUPPORT SAFE GAMBLING HANDICAP 5 655 STARFIGHTER d (M Loughnane) 8-9-8 Morgan Cole (5) 1 7 2-11 BARREL AGED cd (M Botti) 4-9-0 1
J Mitchell
7 111 DUNSTAN d,v (F Brennan) 9-9 K O’Neill 3 Betting 7-2 Zarzyni, 5 Gustav Graves, 6 Jenever, 7 Bonito Cavalo, Star Of Lady M,
(CLASS 4) of £12,000 for 4yo plus. 1m 6 813 PYSANKA d,p (M Loughnane) 5-9-7 Billy Loughnane 9 Betting 11-8 Barrel Aged, 11-4 Bascule, 7 Moliwood, 8 Too Friendly, Moel Arthur, 2 9-15 ENCOMIARE (M Botti) 9-7 H Doyle 5 Pockley, 10 Tyke, Reigning Profit, 14 Others.
1 12-6 BET ME (G Boughey) 4-9-11 Billy Loughnane 1 7 41-3 NIVELLE’S MAGIC d (S Earle) 5-9-6 D Keenan 3 12 Captain Kane, 33 Stepney Causeway. 3 4-11 ALRAZEEN d (G Kelleway) 9-7 H Turner 4
Last year No corresponding race.
2 321- VULTAR c,p (C Cox) 4-9-10 R Kingscote 4 8 510- ANGEL ON HIGH (A Wintle) 7-9-5 C Howarth (3) 8 Last year Duty Of Care (5-10-2) S W Kelly (9-4) Fav J Osborne, drawn (1), 12 ran. 4 53-1 DUBAWI TIME d,h (J & T Gosden) 8-11 B Sayette 2
5 224 BRADMAN d,p (C Fellowes) 8-7 H Davies 1
FORM: ZARZYNI 4-1 (9-3) Raced wide close up, ridden to press winner over 1f
Betting 7-4 Dubawi Time, 5-2 Alrazeen, 3 Dunstan, 13-2 Encomiare, 12 Bradman. out, ran on, 2nd of 12, hd behind Castan (8-11) at Newcastle 5f hcp 0-85 (4).
GUSTAV GRAVES 10-3fav (9-7) Edged left start, mid-division, headway over 2f
RESULTS
Last year No corresponding race.
out, went 2nd over 1f out, led inside final furlong, ran on well, readily, won at

CHELTENHAM £92.61. Trifecta: £93.00. CSF £21.67. NRs: Locked N’ Loaded, Maddisonelle. 5.05 1 Wendywilldo J Williamson 18-1, 2 Positivia 5-1, 3 Holly Bird 10-3. 7 ran.
5.45
1 4-94
WIN 2,000,000 WITH BETMGM’S GOLDEN GOALS
HANDICAP (CLASS 5) of £8,000 for 3yo Only. 1m
MARINER (Jessica Macey) 9-9 L Edmunds 7
Newcastle 5f hcap (5) beating Sugar Hill Babe (8-13) by 1l, 11 ran. JENEVER 9-2
(9-2) In touch, headway 2f out, ridden and ran on inside final furlong, nearest
finish, 4th of 12, 1l behind Castan (8-11) at Newcastle 5f hcp 0-85 (4). BONITO
6.15 1 Lakota Brave H Doyle 15-2, 2 Gunlock 18-1, 3 Gemstar evens fav. 6 ran. 1 2l, 1l. D Brooke. Tote: Win £22.10; £5.70, £2.80. Exacta £143.90. Trifecta:
1
CAVALO 5-2fav (9-6) Keen tracked leaders, headway and switched left to chase
1.30 1 Slade Steel Rachael Blackmore 7-2, 2 Mystical Power 10-3, 3 Firefox 2 5-12 HAVANARAMA (H Palmer) 9-8 J Hart 1
2 4l, 2l. A Watson. Tote: Win £8.50; £2.50, £4.50. Exacta £65.30. Trifecta:
3 1
£395.20. CSF £104.41. NRs: Pour Tout Le Monde, Trysting Thorn. 3 4-44 KHAMSIN (D M Simcock) 9-7 H Turner 6 winner approaching final furlong, no impression close home, in a race won by
11-2. 11 ran. 1 2l, 3 2l. H De Bromhead (IRE) . Tote: Win £4.50; £1.60, £1.80, £137.30. CSF £107.10.
1 1
Placepot: £270.90 4 25-7 SQUEAKER (M Botti) 9-7 B Sayette 5 Sibyl Charm (9-4) at Newcastle 6f hcap (4), 11 ran. POCKLEY 6-1 (9-5) In touch,
£2.00. Exacta £19.80. Tricast £63.87. Trifecta: £95.20. CSF £16.15. NR: 6.45 1 Martin’s Brig S B Kirrane 4-1, 2 Time Patrol 14-1, 3 Retirement Beckons Quadpot: £146.70 5 222 MON ETOILE bf (C Johnston) 9-4 F Norton 3 pushed along and headway entering final furlong, stayed on, 2nd of 11, 3/4l
Gold Dancer. 10-1. 6 ran. 1l, shd. D Thompson. Tote: Win £5.10; £2.00, £5.50. Exacta 6 760- PAPAGEI (J Ferguson) 9-3 H Doyle 4 behind Sibyl Charm (9-4) at Newcastle 6f hcap (4).
2.10 1 Gaelic Warrior P Townend 2-1 fav, 2 Found A Fifty 13-2, 3 Il Etait Temps £57.50. Trifecta: £198.20. CSF £52.76. NR: Ana Emaraaty. SOUTHWELL
7.45
7 425 SUPERB FORCE bf,b (A Balding) 9-1 S De Sousa 2
7-2. 10 ran. 8 2l, 4 4l. W P Mullins (IRE) . Tote: Win £3.00; £1.30, £2.20, £1.80. 7.15 1 Mumayaz H Doyle 7-2 fav, 2 Crypto Quest 12-1, 3 Redzone 15-2. 10
1 3
4.38 1 My Brother Mike Mr Adam O’Shea 14-1, 2 Harbour Vision 11-4 fav, 8 574- INFINITE HONOUR (S Corbett) 8-10 C Hardie 8 STAY GOLDEN WITH BETMGM SAFER GAMBLING
Exacta £14.50. Tricast £42.90. Trifecta: £47.50. CSF £14.83. ran. ns, 1 2l. A Carroll. Tote: Win £4.50; £1.60, £3.20, £2.90. Exacta £46.80.
1
3 Homer Stokes 9-2. 12 ran. 4l, 2 4l. J Stimpson. Tote: Win £17.10; £3.70,
3 1 Betting 11-4 Superb Force, 3 Havanarama, 5 Mon Etoile, 6 Papagei, 8 Khamsin, HANDICAP (DIV 1) (5) of £13,000 for 4yo plus. 1m
2.50 1 Chianti Classico D Bass 6-1, 2 Twig 28-1, 3 Meetingofthewaters 6-1. 21 Tricast £305.96. Trifecta: £481.50. CSF £47.21. NRs: Kaidu, Warminster. £1.40, £2.00. Exacta £72.60. Tricast £211.21. Trifecta: £370.20. CSF Squeaker, 12 Mariner, 25 Infinite Honour. 1 47-6 CROWNTHORPE cd,p (A Brown) 9-9-9 Archie Young (7) 3
ran. 4 2l, 1 4l. K Bailey. Tote: Win £7.00; £1.60, £5.50, £2.10, £6.60. Exacta
1 1
7.45 1 Grand Traverse H Doyle 2-1 fav, 2 Dream For Gold 11-2, 3 Al Farabi Last year No corresponding race. 2 79-3 MATTY TOO (I W McInnes) 5-9-9 B Garritty 5
£51.43.
£202.40. Tricast £1091.46. Trifecta: £2457.00. CSF £170.43. NRs: Found
6.15
7-2. 9 ran. 2 4l, 1 2l. A Watson. Tote: Win £3.00; £1.60, £1.90, £1.60. Exacta
1 1
5.15 1 Sirius White Miss Ellie Mayo 100-1, 2 Belleplaine 12-1, 3 The Follower BETMGM: IT’S SHOWTIME HANDICAP (CLASS 3) 3 017 TRAIS FLUORS cd (Miss L Perratt) 10-9-9 J Peate (3) 8
On, Risk And Roll. £19.50. Tricast £37.71. Trifecta: £82.40. CSF £13.90. 4 201 PLASTIC PADDY cd,p (M Appleby) 6-9-8 A Rawlinson 10
3.30 1 State Man P Townend 2-5 fav, 2 Irish Point 9-2, 3 Luccia 33-1. 8 ran. 1 4l, 8.15 1 Sherdil Ryan Sexton 7-2, 2 Golden Rainbow 9-4 fav, 3 Another Angel
1
9-2. 12 ran. 2l, 4l. L Morgan. Tote: Win £102.10; £19.90, £4.10, £2.00. Exacta
1 3
of £15,000 for 4yo plus. 1m 5 333 STAR SHIELD cd,p (D O’Meara) 9-9-7 D Tudhope 1
2 4l. W P Mullins (IRE) . Tote: Win £1.40; £3.60, £1.10, £1.40. Exacta £2.50. £1371.80. Tricast £6448.38. Trifecta: Not won. CSF £1051.69. 1 362 GREATGADIAN bf,cd (R Varian) 6-9-11 A Keeley (3) 1 6 11-2 IT’S A LOVE THING c (S England) 6-9-6 T Eaves 6
1
10-1. 8 ran. 2l, 2 4l. P Midgley. Tote: Win £5.20; £1.40, £1.40, £2.20. Exacta
1 1

Tricast £24.69. Trifecta: £19.70. CSF £2.70. £15.30. Trifecta: £97.10. CSF £12.04. 5.55 1 Churchella D Tudhope 8-1, 2 The Craftymaster 4-5 fav, 3 Socialist 2 13/1 NOBLE ORDER cd (A Watson) 5-9-9 H Doyle 5 7 068 MIDNIGHT LION (I Jardine) 4-9-3 P Mulrennan 9
4.10 1 Lossiemouth P Townend 8-13 fav, 2 Telmesomethinggirl 22-1, 3 Hispanic Placepot: £744.20 Agenda 10-3. 7 ran. 4l, 5 2l. D O’Meara. Tote: Win £9.00; £2.50, £1.20.
3 1 3 1-73 RON O cd (R Craggs) 6-9-6 T Eaves 6 8 003- SHINE ON BRENDAN d (J Goldie) 7-9-2 L Edmunds 2
Exacta £15.70. Trifecta: £38.70. CSF £14.48. 4 006- DAWN OF LIBERATION d (R Carr) 5-9-6 L Edmunds 2 9 528- SANDRET cd (B Haslam) 8-9-1 A Breslin (3) 4
Moon 40-1. 11 ran. 3l, 9 2l. W P Mullins (IRE) . Tote: Win £1.62; £1.40, £2.50, Quadpot: £160.40
1
5 594 CHUZZLEWIT (K Ryan) 4-9-5 S Gray 3
£6.90. Exacta £22.00. Tricast £324.19. Trifecta: £613.10. CSF £21.74. 6.30 1 Monterosa K Shoemark 3-1, 2 Lucykeys 17-2, 3 Cherry Burton 11-1. 7 10 5-11 LOUGH LEANE d (D M Simcock) 4-8-8 H Turner 7
4.50 1 Lark In The Mornin J J Slevin 9-1, 2 Eagles Reign 80-1, 3 Ndaawi SEDGEFIELD ran. 4 4l, 1 4l. J & T Gosden. Tote: Win £4.00; £1.70, £3.40. Exacta £25.50.
3 3
6 8-62 BASHFUL c,d,t,p (I Jardine) 6-9-0 C Hardie 7
Betting 7-2 Plastic Paddy, 9-2 Lough Leane, 5 It’s A Love Thing, Matty Too, 6
7 200- FIRST DYNASTY (S England) 5-8-9 A Breslin (3) 4
12-1. 22 ran. 2l, nk. J P O’Brien (IRE) . Tote: Win £10.00; £2.50, £16.30, 1.50 1 Tedtwo R McLernon 8-13 fav, 2 Recoup 15-8, 3 Vanilla Dancer 7-1. 7 Trifecta: £150.20. CSF £27.85. Star Shield, 12 Crownthorpe, Trais Fluors, Shine On Brendan, 14 Others.
Betting 15-8 Noble Order, 2 Greatgadian, 6 Ron O, 7 Chuzzlewit, 8 Bashful, 16
£3.50, £8.10. Exacta £1177.40. Tricast £8479.90. Trifecta: £24580.50. ran. 15l, 4l. B Haslam. Tote: Win £1.62; £1.10, £1.20. Exacta £2.30. Trifecta:
3
7.00 1 Melek Alreeh L Morris 2-1 fav, 2 Optician 9-4, 3 Real Terms 4-1. 7 ran. Dawn Of Liberation, 33 First Dynasty. Last year Crownthorpe (8-9-7) R Sexton(3) (12-1) A Brown, drawn (5), 9 ran.

8.15
CSF £629.97. £3.90. CSF £2.21. NRs: Graze On Phoenix, Midnight Alnwicky, Sea Grey. shd, 6 2l. D M Simcock. Tote: Win £3.20; £1.60, £1.60. Exacta £7.30. Trifecta:
1 Last year Point Lynas (4-9-9) C Rodriguez (11-2) E Bethell, drawn (6), 11 ran. STAY GOLDEN WITH BETMGM SAFER GAMBLING
2.30 1 Plaisir Des Flos J Hogan 7-4 fav, 2 Boyneside 16-1, 3 Hubbel Bubbel
6.45
5.30 1 Corbetts Cross Mr D O’Connor 15-8, 2 Embassy Gardens 7-4 fav, 3 Mr £27.50. CSF £6.86. HANDICAP (DIV 2) (CLASS 5) of £13,000 for 4yo plus. 1m
Vango 14-1. 7 ran. 17l, 8 2l. E Mullins (IRE) . Tote: Win £2.88; £1.60, £1.60. 10-1. 10 ran. 5 2l, 2 4l. F O’Brien. Tote: Win £2.75; £1.40, £4.10, £2.60. Exacta
1 1 BET 10 GET 40 AT BETMGM HANDICAP (CLASS 4)
1
7.30 1 Ziggy’s Missile L Morris 6-1, 2 Mini Magna 50-1, 3 Torvar 6-1. 7 ran.
Exacta £5.40. Trifecta: £42.60. CSF £5.52. £32.30. Tricast £225.72. Trifecta: £270.10. CSF £28.75. NRs: Boot ‘n’ Shoe, of £11,000 for 4yo plus. 7f 1 670- HARSWELL DUKE d (R Fell & S Murray) 6-9-9 J Peate (3) 6
1 4l, 1 4l. R Cowell. Tote: Win £7.00; £3.10, £13.80. Exacta £110.80. Trifecta:
3 3
2 165 CUSACK cd,p (D Thompson) 6-9-9 S B Kirrane 3
Jackpot: £2,605.10 Celestial Fashion. 1 627- WOODSTOCK (R Carr) 4-9-9 Joanna Mason 5
£714.00. CSF £196.26. 2 221 SIBYL CHARM cd (I Jardine) 4-9-9(5ex) P Mulrennan 2 3 12-1 HAVANA PARTY cd,b (I Jardine) 6-9-8 L Edmunds 1
Placepot: £45.10 3.10 1 Hokelami C Brace 11-2, 2 Templier 6-1, 3 Six One Nine 4-1. 7 ran. 9l,
6l. R L Llewellyn. Tote: Win £6.50; £2.90, £3.10. Exacta £31.70. Tricast 8.00 1 Moulin Booj C Shepherd 10-3 jtfav, 2 Level Up 16-1, 3 Darlo Pride 7-1. 11 3 283- PRAIRIE FALCON bf,d (M Dods) 4-9-8 H Doyle 1 4 7-54 SUGAR HILL (G Boughey) 4-9-7 C Rodriguez 9
Quadpot: £19.20 ran. 1 2l, nk. G Scott. Tote: Win £4.34; £1.70, £3.50, £2.30. Exacta £48.00. 5 798 CHANTICO (A Keatley) 5-9-6 H Russell 8
£144.51. Trifecta: £142.50. CSF £36.07. NR: Dakota Moirette.
1
4 8-36 ILLUSIONIST (G Tuer) 7-9-7 A Farragher 7
NEWCASTLE 3.50 1 Deep Charm S Coltherd 9-2, 2 Almazhar Garde 9-2, 3 Croagh Patrick Tricast £362.76. Trifecta: £288.30. CSF £61.01. 5 015- INITIO d (E Bethell) 4-9-7 H Shaw 6 6 880 SKILLED WARRIOR cd (G Tuer) 6-9-5 A Farragher 2
8.30 1 One More Dream J Hart 10-3 fav, 2 Berkshire Phantom 6-1, 3 Gobi 6 410 GOLDSMITH (Alice Haynes) 5-9-6 K O’Neill 8 7 0-34 IRISH FLAME bf,cd,v (M Dods) 5-9-3 J Hart 4
5.00 1 Bobby Shaftoe P Mulrennan 11-4, 2 Bella Bluesky 9-4, 3 Night Bear 11-1. 7-1. 5 ran. 6 2l, shd. W Coltherd. Tote: Win £5.50; £2.30, £2.40. Exacta
1
8 070- NATZOR (D O’Meara) 4-9-2 D Tudhope 7
Sunset 9-1. 12 ran. 1 4l, 1l. J & S Quinn. Tote: Win £4.34; £1.40, £2.50, £3.30. 7 563 SIR MAXI cd (R Fahey) 6-9-2 Oisin Orr 3
5 ran. 1l, 2l. J Goldie. Tote: Win £3.75; £1.60, £1.30. Exacta £8.40. Trifecta:
1
£22.10. Trifecta: £61.50. CSF £23.40. 3

8 9-08 BOWMAN d (D Brooke) 6-9-0 A Rawlinson 4 9 673 SHOWMEDEMONEY cd,t,p (I Jardine) 5-8-8 C Hardie 5
£29.80. CSF £9.19. NR: Elusive Truth. 4.30 1 El Jefe A Doyle 9-2, 2 Final Edgar 5-4 fav, 3 Trailblazer 7-1. 6 ran. 1 4l, 1 Exacta £27.20. Tricast £171.50. Trifecta: £228.80. CSF £22.81. Betting 2 Sibyl Charm, 5 Sir Maxi, 11-2 Prairie Falcon, 6 Goldsmith, 7 Initio, 8 Betting 5-2 Havana Party, 4 Sugar Hill, 9-2 Irish Flame, 6 Showmedemoney, 8
5.40 1 Medici Pass P Mulrennan 7-1, 2 Marcello Si 15-8, 3 Fanzone 13-2. 7 15l. A B Hamilton. Tote: Win £5.50; £1.90, £1.30. Exacta £12.20. Trifecta: Placepot: £443.90 Illusionist, 10 Woodstock, 25 Bowman. Cusack, 12 Chantico, 14 Natzor, Harswell Duke, 16 Skilled Warrior.
ran. 4l, 1l. I Jardine. Tote: Win £9.20; £2.90, £1.70. Exacta £23.10. Tricast £45.30. CSF £11.32. NR: Snookered. Quadpot: £40.10 Last year No corresponding race. Last year No corresponding race.
Wednesday March 13, 2024
‘No point speculating on whether
Constitution Hill would have won’
Racing
ASHLEY IVESON
N
ICKY Henderson did
not want to speculate
on what might have
been after seeing his
admirable mare Luccia
finish third in a Unibet
Champion Hurdle
lacking stable star Constitution Hill.
The undoubted ace in the Seven
Barrows pack, Constitution Hill was
mesmeric when leaving the Willie
Mullins-trained State Man in his
wake 12 months ago, but a very public
sub-par workout at Kempton,
followed by unsatisfactory scopes
and blood test results meant he was
unable to defend his crown.
State Man was therefore a short
price to claim the feature event on
day one of the Cheltenham Festival
and duly landed the odds, but the
proximity of the 140-rated Luccia in
third, beaten just three and a half
lengths, only made Constitution
Hill’s absence all the more
conspicuous.
“I’m thrilled for State Man and
Willie and Joe and Marie [Donnelly,
owners], I’ve got three runners for
them [Donnellys] on Friday and
they’re the best,” said Henderson
afterwards.
“We’ve had plenty of banter
throughout the winter of how State
Man and Constitution Hill are going
to have a good battle and it wasn’t to
be, which is a shame.
“There’s no point in speculating
where Constitution Hill would have
finished in front of Luccia, I think
you can probably guess where he’s
going to finish, but that’s for another
day.”
Whether Constitution Hill will run
again this season, either at Aintree or
at Punchestown for a belated rematch
with State Man, remains to be seen,
but Henderson did issue an upbeat
update on his well-being.
He added: “Constitution Hill was
ridden out with the others this morn-
ing, which was nice to see. His bloods
Golf
PGA Tour talks with Saudi PIF
accelerating, reveals Monahan
PGA TOUR commissioner Jay
Monahan insists he is the right person
to lead “accelerating” negotiations with
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund
amid a “shared vision to quiet the noise
and unlock golf’s worldwide potential”.
Monahan declined to discuss any
specifics of a possible deal but did reveal
that he and members of the Tour’s policy
board met with PIF governor Yasir
Al-Rumayyan in Saudi Arabia in January.
He also acknowledged that failure
to come to an agreement with the PIF,
who bankroll LIV Golf, would leave
Jockey Paul Townend celebrates atop State Man in the winner’s enclosure yesterday
are better, but we’ve got a long way to
go. He’s not 100 per cent [over the
infection], but it’s a long way going
down the road of improving
dramatically.”
Constitution Hill’s setback aside,
there is no doubt Henderson’s string
has not been firing on all cylinders
ahead of the Festival and the fact
both Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
contender Jeriko Du Reponet and
Champion Hurdle hope Iberico Lord
were pulled up gave the trainer
further food for thought.
“Some of these horses probably
aren’t running how they ought to, in
men’s professional golf stuck in the
“same posture we are now” and that
fans are “tired of conflict” and the
focus on enormous sums of money.
PGA Tour players will benefit from
equity of more than £1.1billion after
the US-based circuit secured an
investment deal with Strategic Sports
Group (SSG).
The deal also allows for a future
“co-investment” from the PIF,
although Tiger Woods and Jordan
Spieth have both suggested that may
no longer be necessary.
which case he [Constitution Hill] is
probably safer where he is,” he said.
“Everything you do at home tells
you they’re all perfectly right, other-
wise to be honest with you they
wouldn’t be here.
“We’ll just have to play it quietly
and take them as individuals. [The
tests] say they’re all OK, but this
ground has gone against quite a few
of them, so we’ll have to regroup. I
can think of two or three that won’t
want to be running on that ground,
but I need to talk to the owners first.”
The owner of National Hunt
racing’s pre-eminent star, Michael
Speaking at his annual press
conference ahead of the Players
Championship, Monahan said: “I
recently met with the governor of the
PIF, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our
negotiations are accelerating as we
spend time together.
“While we have several key issues
that we still need to work through, we
have a shared vision to quiet the noise
and unlock golf’s worldwide potential.
“It’s going to take time, but I
reiterate what I said at the Tour
Championship in August. I see a
positive outcome for the PGA Tour and
the sport as a whole.
“I do believe that negotiating a deal
with PIF is the best outcome.
SPORT ROUND-UP 11
Buckley, was also in attendance. He
said: “It’s not very gracious but I
think if he ran, he’d have won the
race, that is what I think. If I don’t
believe in my horse, no one else will.
“He had his blood test yesterday
and while they were remarkably
improved from where they were a
week ago, they weren’t ‘normal’ – but
he is out and about.
“It’s not really for me to talk about
Nicky’s horses, but on home work
Iberico Lord would beat Luccia so, as
everyone is commenting about, Nicky
has something running about his
yard.”
Obviously it has to be the right deal for
both sides, like any situation or
negotiation.”
Monahan conceded that any deal
would not be able to satisfy every one
of the Tour’s more than 200 members,
with Rory McIlroy recently advocating
a more “cut-throat” circuit with fewer
players holding Tour cards.
“I think when you’re in a negotiation
like this and you’re in a time like this, it
requires open-mindedness, it requires
flexibility and it requires a long-term
view and a long-term vision,” Monahan
added.
“But, however we end up, I think
that we’re not going to be able to satisfy
everyone and that goes for both sides.”
Athletics
Kerr calls for
Grangemouth
facility to be
kept open
DOUBLE world champion Josh
Kerr believes he owes his career
at the very top of global athletics
to grassroots facilities like
Grangemouth Stadium.
The America-based Scot won
gold in the Men’s 1500m at the
World Champs in Budapest last
summer with a stunning success
over Norwegian superstar Jakob
Ingebrigtsen in Hungary.
Kerr followed that up earlier
this year with World Best for Two
Miles and 3000m gold at the
World Indoors in front of a
frenzied home crowd at
Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.
But the Edinburgh AC hero is
concerned about the future of
the athletics pathway in Scotland
with key venue Grangemouth
under threat of closure by
owners Falkirk Council.
Governing body Scottish
Athletics have commissioned
consultants to look at rescue
package options with
Grangemouth effectively the
national stadium for track and
field over the past two decades.
It is also a key venue for clubs,
training, and education for
coaches and Officials.
“It is really sad to hear about the
threat to the future of
Grangemouth,” said Josh, who
raced there many times in his early
and mid teens before heading to
the University of New Mexico.
“When I look back on the early
stages of my career then I know I
would not have had the
development I did without
Grangemouth as a venue for
events.
“Any facility closing in
Scotland – or potentially closing
in Scotland – is a massive
problem and issue for our sport.”
Top Scottish stars like Kerr,
Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan,
Jemma Reekie and Jake
Wightman all consider their
careers were “forged” at venues
like Grangemouth and are
passionate about the grassroots
of the sport in Scotland.
“We are trying our hardest at
our end of things to inspire and
motivate and show people the
pathway. We are trying to get
people down to their local track.
“To close those kind of venues
down is not a spot we want to be
in at the moment.
“So I’m sad to hear that and
anything we can do to raise the
profile of the discussion is
important. I think it is massive for
athletics in Scotland so let’s see
if we can raise the argument and
the money need to keep
Grangemouth open.”
12 SPORT COMMENT
Martin Hannan on Wednesday
Where have all of Scottish rugby’s hard men disappeared to?
I
F it wasn’t for a duff decision by
a TMO against France and a
piece of unforgivable
indiscipline by Pierre
Schoeman in Rome, Scotland
would be going to Dublin this
weekend with a real chance of
winning the Guinness Six Nations
Championship and the Grand Slam.
Nobody saw that as a possibility at
the start of the tournament, and, lo,
it did not come to pass as the
arithmetic says we can’t win the title.
No use blaming individuals. The
team failed to win two matches they
should have won, and if you play as a
squad then you win or lose as a
squad. A cliche, yes, but also a
truism.
At least we can see that this
Scotland squad very much plays as a
squad and the teamwork in this
tournament has been outstanding.
Yet the losses indicate something I
have felt about Scotland’s
performances in recent years – we
are just not hard enough when it
matters. Scotland should have won
against France at Murrayfield and
against Italy in Rome, but especially
on Saturday, we let the Azzurri off
the hook, big style. Why? Because
we don’t kill off the opposition when
we can, we don’t pummel them
when they’re on the back foot, we
don’t send them off down the way to
dusty death, figuratively speaking, of
course.
To win, to hammer the point of
your superiority and demoralise the
opposition, you need to be hard, and
by hard I don’t mean dirty. In these
days of all-seeing eyes, dirty play is
usually always punished, and I can
think of a few Scottish
internationalists of yesteryear who
would have seen a plethora of red
cards for their ‘misdeameanours’ in
the contemporary game.
I am talking about physical
toughness and mental commitment
which means total engagement up
front, defending in stonewall
fashion, and then taking
responsibility for the attack from
whatever position you occupy and
carrying it through. Above all it
means being able to absorb the
punishment and give it back to the
SPORT ON TV
Football Champions League,
Atletico Madrid v Inter Milan – TNT
Sports 1 1900; Borussia Dortmund
v PSV Eindhoven – TNT Sports 2
1930; League One, Peterborough v
Stevenage – Sky Sports Football
and Sky Sports Main Event 1930.
Tennis BNP Paribas Open – Sky
Sports Tennis 1730 and Sky
Sports Main Event 2230.
SCOTLAND'S QUALI T Y SPORT SUPPLEMENT
Pierre Schoeman is one of Scotland’s tougher players, but even he is different from the likes of Finlay Calder
opposition and then some – my
definition of ‘hard’.
I never saw David Bedell-
Sivwright, obviously, because he
died during World War I, but he was
reputedly the hardest Scottish player
ever, and I would have loved to have
seen the brilliant flanker W.I.D.
Elliot in his pomp in the 1950s, but I
did watch the likes of Jim Telfer, Ian
‘Mighty Mouse’ McLauchlan, Sandy
Carmichael, Ian ‘the Bear’ Milne,
Jim Aitken, Colin Deans, John
Jeffrey and my personal favourite
hard man, Finlay Calder, dish it out
Horse racing Cheltenham Festival –
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Cycling Women’s Nokere Koerse –
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Torino – Eurosport 2 1320; Men’s
Nokere Koerse – Eurosport 2 1500.
Basketball NBA, Miami Heat v
Denver Nuggets – TNT Sports 2
2330.
and take it. There were plenty others
in the 1970s through to the 1990s,
with Gordon Brown, Norrie Rowan,
Bill Dickinson, and David Leslie all
players who were hard on the field
and quite the opposite in person. All
were tough characters.
Nobody attacked them with
impunity. Nobody thought for a
minute that they would lay down to
any opponent.
I look at the contemporary
Scottish squad, and while there are
plenty tough individuals, I don’t see
any player who you could genuinely
TOMORROW
Football Europa League, West Ham
v Freiburg – TNT Sports 1 1700;
Rangers v Benfica – TNT Sports 4
1700; Liverpool v Sparta Prague –
TNT Sports 2 1900; Brighton v
Roma – TNT Sports 3 1930; Europa
Conference League, Aston Villa v
Ajax – TNT Sports 1 1945; League
Two, Salford v Stockport – Sky
Sports Football 1930.
Rugby correspondent
It means being
able to absorb the
punishment and
give it back to the
opposition and then
some – that’s my
definition of ‘hard’
Rugby league Super League,
Salford v Wigan – Sky Sports Action
1930.
Tennis BNP Paribas Open – Sky
Sports Tennis 1730 and Sky Sports
Main Event 2300.
Golf PGA Tour, The Players
Championship – Sky Sports Golf
and Sky Sports Main Event 1130.
Wednesday March 13, 2024
call a ‘hard man’, certainly not of the
order of Mighty Mouse or the Bear.
Battlers we have, yes, and thank
goodness for it, but we need players
with what coaches in the past called
‘a bit of devil’. I understood that
expression – and played against
plenty who had it.
Hardness was often
misunderstood as nasty and brutal,
and modern rugby does not tolerate
such people. That’s a good thing –
we really don’t need players who
tackle high, who smack opponents
off the ball, who hit with a fly punch
or stamp, invariably when the
referee can’t see. What we do need is
players who stand up to opponents,
who drive in to them, who make it
public that they will live up that old
Scottish motto ‘wha daur meddle wi
me’.
I don’t think Scotland can develop
‘a bit of devil’ before Dublin but they
have a very good reason for doing so
– the Triple Crown. Ireland can’t
win the Triple Crown of 2024 but
Scotland, and only Scotland, can do
so.
Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter, it’s
just a hypothetical award, because to
be the best of the four Home Nations
is still worth fighting for.
I know I tipped Ireland to get their
second consecutive Slam, but very
few people foresaw that England
would be their undoing, and yes,
England deserved that victory at
Twickenham in a game which
ended with Ireland showing heavy
legs and a touch of tiredness – they
have been on a long and brilliant
run, but they are knackered and it
showed.
Problem is that Ireland need to
defeat Scotland on Saturday to
ensure that they win the
Championship, and I still think they
will beat us. But wouldn’t it be
wonderful for Scotland to tear up
the record books, play with gusto
and spirit, and win the Triple Crown
for only the 11th time and the first
since 1990? If you can’t win a title,
then making history is a very
acceptable consolation.
TOMORROW
Graeme McGarry
Darts Premier League – Sky
Sports Main Event 1900.
Horse racing Cheltenham Festival
– ITV 1 1300.
Basketball NBA, Boston Celtics v
Phoenix Suns – TNT Sports 2
2330; Oklahoma City Thunder v
Dallas Mavericks – TNT Sports 2
0200 (Fri).