Perfect 10 in Champion Hurdle
Hurricane Fly will face a maximum of nine rivals when he aims to regain his crown in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. Henderson could also run 2010 champion Binocular, as well as the runner-up of that year, Khyber Kim. Last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Cinders And Ashes and Triumph Hurdle hero Countrywide Flame add further strength in depth. The field is completed by Balder Succes and Cotton Mill, although the latter looks more likely to stick to handicap company in the County Hurdle. The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old landed the two-mile championship in 2011 and although he was beaten into third when odds-on 12 months ago, he has looked better than ever so far this season. The three main hopes for the home team are last year’s winner Rock On Ruby, now trained by Harry Fry, Paul Nicholls’ improving Zarkandar and the Nicky Henderson-trained Grandouet. 
Press Association
(Washington, DC) — President Trump is headed to New York City to visit his younger brother Robert Trump, 72, who is hospitalized.The development was confirmed by the White House. The details of his condition remain unknown though he is described by several sources as “very ill.”White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed the hospitalization, adding that the president and his brother “have a very good relationship and Robert is very special to him.” Reports also say that Robert was hospitalized earlier this summer, where he spent at least ten days in a neuro-intensive care unit.Sources said Trump is expected to visit his brother on Friday.
As predicted, defending champions Dolphins are to take on city rivals, First Bank’s Elephant Girls, in the final of the 12th Zenith Bank Women Basketball League scheduled for the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in tomorrow.Dolphins yesterday zoomed into the final after out-dunking the Nigeria Customs 74-53 in the first semi-final game of the Final 8 tournament.First Bank on the other hand, ran riot crushing IGP Queens 105-22 en-route the final. The second semi final was a clear case of mismatch opponents as the Elephant Girls proved too hot for Queens from Abuja to handle. The coach Ochuko Okorogu-tutored girls led from the first to the last fourth quarter to prove bookmakers right.Meanwhile, Dolphins players and officials are to pay a courtesy call on the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Peter Amangbo tomorrow at the corporate head office of the bank in Victoria Island, Lagos.In the classification matches played yesterday, Plateau Rocks defeated AHIP Queens of Kano 63 -56 while Benue princess bowed to Delta Force 59-42.The All-Stars game of the 2016 edition of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League scheduled for today is to take place with 24 players listed for action inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the Sport-city in Lagos.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
*Club’s chairman hints shake up imminentThe Executive Chairman of the Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC, Mr Gbolagade Busari has hinted that major decisions at improving the fortunes of the club will be made in a matter of weeks, emphasizing that the club’s poor performance was not due to the lack of funding.He said that both the players and the technical crew are going to be evaluated by the management with proper restructuring in the pipelines.Busari, therefore, appealed to the teeming fans of the team to remain calm, assuring that necessary measures will be put in place to marshal the team back to the premiership in due course. This was after the unfavorable outcome of Gombe United / Wikki Tourists rescheduled match in Maiduguri. He disclosed that the current situation of the team was not as a result of lack of adequate support from the government, stressing that 3SC is the only agency that still gets its monthly subvention regularly from the government despite the cash crunch in the country.Also, Mr. Gbolagade Busari on Sunday in Ibadan, explained that the Club, 3SC, gets monthly subvention of N12m for players’ salaries, technical crew and administrative  staff while gate takings (at an average of N1m per match with the money realized from sponsorship deals) are all utilized for match prosecution, allowances as well as bonuses of the players.He went further that no one should put the blame of the team’s poor performance at the door steps of the government but rather the commitment of the players.Busari said, “We tried everything we could, not to be in this situation but it’s obvious our best is not enough. We got the necessary support from the government but we have not been able to justify the investments on the club.“We collect our monthly subvention and our gate-takings are being used for the players. We also used the proceeds realized from our sponsorship deals for allowances and bonuses of the players without interference from the government”, he said.“We had identified the problems even before the end of the season and necessary actions were put in place to ensure that these challenges did not lead us to relegation. We will do everything within our capacity to ensure that the team bounces back in due course,†Busari assured.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Allison Wack and the Badgers have matched the program\’s best start after beating UW-Green Bay to move to 11-0 on the season.[/media-credit]In its final non-conference tune-up before Big Ten play begins, the Wisconsin volleyball team looked sharp, sweeping the UW-Green Bay Phoenix 3-0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-20).The Badgers (11-0) came out firing in the first game, as Alexis Mitchell led the team through a 13-0 run after the game was initially tied at 6-6.Going on such an impressive run midway through the first game took some of the energy out of the Phoenix (3-10).“I think in the first game it started off when [Mitchell] went on her big run, I mean it really decreased the energy on the other side of the court and that just gave us a lot of confidence to really be going after things,” senior Allison Wack said. “I think we did it through our play, we were sticking our passes and our middles were getting up and hitting really hard high shots.”The undefeated start for the team, tied for the best start in school history, is the best start for the program since before head coach Pete Waite was hired. The 1996 team finished with a 25-8 record and an NCAA appearance.While the start seems impressive on paper, the undefeated start may be slightly diminished because the level of play has been significantly lower than what they will face in conference play.Despite this, coach Waite said he does not believe the team’s opening run is tainted.“There would be some years where we wouldn’t have won these matches, some of them were very tight and some of them we’ve had to come from behind and that’s a real challenge,” Waite said after practice last Tuesday. “We’ve got a lot of young players that are learning a lot in every one of those situations.”The inexperience of the team certainly has been a challenge for them, but the young players have responded with solid play.Freshman Julie Mikaelsen, still adjusting to American life in her first month away from her native Norway, finished with eight kills in limited action.Mikaelsen, who seemed to use the angle more than usual, led the way in the third game after sitting out the entire second game, accumulating five kills as the team completed the sweep. Although Mikaelsen seemed to be forcing the angle, it didn’t appear to be a strategy so much as it was what the defense was giving her.“It’s up to each hitter, what they’re comfortable with, what the set gives them and what they see the block doing,” Waite said. “She’s just getting more comfortable on the attack everyday and the setters are doing a good job of getting her the ball.”Wack led the team with 11 kills, and middle blocker Alexis Mitchell had a monster game in the middle.In addition to strong hitting, the blocking seemed sharp and precise. Both coach Waite and Mitchell said that blocking was something they worked extensively on during the practice week.“We actually really worked on it a lot this week, we worked on a lot of fast hands across the net, closing our block,” Mitchell said. “We had a pretty good scouting report on where their hitters were gonna go and I think we did a good job.”The team played in front of its largest crowd this year, with a surprisingly large student section. Coined the “Block Party,” the student section included a small band and the full array of cheers and taunts normally reserved for the Kohl Center at men’s basketball games.A strong crowd and intimidating student section is something the team craves, citing the strong home court advantage it would bring.“The student section was fantastic; it was awesome to see them here,” Waite said. “They’ll understand that once Big Ten play starts it gets a lot more intense in here and we would love to have them out more often because they really help out on that end line.”
Mary Rahal pushed towards the net looking to win the game for Syracuse. Before she got a shot off, Virginia Tech’s Abby Wilson extended her stick toward Rahal’s but missed. Rahal dropped to the ground clutching her head. The referee’s whistle blew and Rahal had a free position shot.But Rahal had already failed to beat Hokie goalie Meagh Graham twice before on free position shots. She didn’t even test Graham on the first and missed high. And, minutes before her shot to win, she committed the turnover that allowed VT to tie the game.Neena Merola couldn’t watch. As Rahal readied, the SU midfielder stared at the team bench and waited. The whistle blew and Rahal swung her stick high and shot the ball low. It bounced once and scooted past Graham. Rahal found redemption, and Merola finally turned at the sound of victory all around her.Rahal’s game-winner delivered the knockout punch as No. 11 Syracuse (11-4, 4-1 Atlantic Coast) outlasted No. 15 Virginia Tech (11-5, 2-3 ACC), 12-11, on Sunday in overtime at SU Soccer Stadium. The Orange’s offense managed seven second-half goals against the sixth-best defense in the country without Nicole Levy and her 36 points. The sophomore’s lower body injury kept her out of the matchup but it didn’t matter. Freshman Emily Hawryschuk led the way for the Orange, scoring five goals and adding an assist.“They played the second half well and it really came together,” SU head coach Gary Gait said. “We saw some chemistry there. They really did come through in the second half. The attackers carried us.”AdvertisementThis is placeholder textSeventy-eight seconds into the game, attack Devon Parker opened the scoring on senior day. Half a minute later, junior attack Alie Jimerson scored in her first start of the season and SU jumped out two a two-goal lead. Then, though, the Virginia Tech defense clamped down to earn its rank as the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense. In the first half, even though the Orange led the draw control 8-3, the Hokies forced 13 Orange turnovers. Gait’s team only scored two more goals and trailed 6-4 at the break.“You can’t just decide when you’re going to turn it on and off,” Gait said. “That’s the message to this team.”Even a returning Taylor Gait failed to jumpstart a dormant SU offense. Playing for the first time in six games, the redshirt-junior’s visible slowness showed she wasn’t at 100 percent.To start the second half, Gait walked out on the field to talk to his attack. Jimerson, Donahue and Parker watched and listened as he mimicked stick movements and preached ball movement.After Virginia Tech beat SU goalie Bri Stahrr, who replaced starter Asa Goldstock to start the half, the Orange trailed 7-4. Syracuse faced top defenses before VT but was 0-3 against top-30 defenses before Sunday. In a 4:28 span, Syracuse relied on its top offensive weapons to fight back.“In the second half,” Parker said, “we were focusing more on our offense than their defense.”Donahue’s weak shot bounced and made it 7-5. Hawrsychuk dashed towards Graham, faked, and cut the lead to one. After a quick VT response, Hawryshuk scored again. The Victor, New York, native muscled her way in front of the net and burst through two defenders. Rahal knocked in a low shot to tie the game at eight and foreshadowed her game-winner. During the run, the SU bench came alive. Paige Rodgers cartwheeled near the SU bench as Levy stood on the sidelines and spit sunflower seeds onto the field where she could not play.“The team stepped up all across the field,” Hawryschuk said. “It was awesome.”Exactly one year ago, Syracuse cruised by Virginia Tech in Blacksburg by 14 goals. Last year, Levy scored twice against the Hokies and this Sunday, she didn’t. Last year, Donahue netted four goals and Sunday Hawryschuk notched five. Winning for an eighth time in as many tries looked a little different, but it ended all the same. Comments Published on April 9, 2017 at 8:06 pm Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez Facebook Twitter Google+
Keith Earls who was also subbed through injury yesterday is suffering stiffness in the neck but will be fine.Robbie Henshaw will train fully this week and will be available for selection for the next game while Jordi Murphy has a dead leg but will recover.Ireland will take on Italy in the Olympic Stadium.
Former team-mates, colleagues and opponents have been paying tribute to ex-England defender Ugo Ehiogu who has died aged 44.He had a cardiac arrest at Tottenham’s training ground yesterday – where he worked as the club’s under-23s coach.Ehiogu’s best known for his time as a player at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, and he won the League Cup with both clubs.
Accra Hearts of Oak suffered another 0-3 defeat against Wa All Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium in week 16 of the Ghana league.A total dominance of the Wa lads saw them open scoring through striker Samuel Boateng in the 2nd minute of play in the first half. The Phobians piled pressure trying to equalize but the resilience of the All Stars defenders prevented them from even getting closer to their goal area.The second half of the game started with the Upper West boys changing their game plan with Ganiu Ishmael unleashing a thunderbolt of a shot through a constructed human wall for the second goal on 50th minute mark after center referee Gyasi awarded a free kick just behind the goal area of Hearts.The pressure became intense when the Phobians lost control in the dying embers of the game despite bringing on Ollenu Ashitey and Kofi Abanga but quickly the tables turned when All Stars made it three through Striker Paul De Vries with an excellent strikeWa All Stars recorded the same three nil score line in the first round of the league at the WaParkIn other results: New Edubiase 1-0 Aduana Stars @BekwaiHasaacas 0-0 Amidaus @ EssiponHeart of Lions 2-0 Liberty @ KpandoBechem 2-0 King Faisal @ Bechem
Dimitrievski has a smile underneath his masks. Is glad. Rayo has returned to work, with particular person classes, and the goalkeeper savors this new ‘regular’. “I felt like I was born once more. I am very glad to return and soar into the sector. I have loved. I missed. All through these weeks we had pointers to comply with and a planning to maintain us in one of the best form attainable. It has been troublesome, however we’re higher than if we had not finished something, “confesses the keeper in statements distributed by the membership. Dimi wastes positivity even taking inventory of how his life has been confined at residence. “I have tried to keep and entertain myself. I have seen many films, I have learn a guide and, above all, I have finished helpful issues that I often don’t have time to do through the season. I really feel that I have made good use of the time. It has handed rapidly. Additionally, my household is advantageous, no person has handed the virus, “confirms the goalkeeper of the Strip. Gloves, masks, temperature controls … Now the routine is totally different, however the need to return and the will for soccer can do something. Dimitrievski retains alive the hope of getting Rayo on the rise. “There are good emotions. Everybody is excited to work and end the season in the easiest way. Now we have gear to get the place we would like. Now it is up to us. We begin a brand new league. It’s a brand new begin. You have got to exit and win from the start, “argues the Macedonian, who sentences:”To return is to win“ In the present day the ball returnedThe Rayo continues with its set-up for the return of the competitors. On this second day of individualized classes (this Tuesday they already elevated their depth and length to about 50 minutes), the ball grew to become the good protagonist. To the work of activation and steady operating, the ball was integrated. Nice information for the squad.