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[Smallville22]

Ligue 1 - Lyon and Marseille in goalless draw

Lyon were held to a goalless home draw by Marseille which left them four points behind leaders Paris St Germain.
The uninspired hosts dominated possession but never really threatened OM goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, waiting more than an hour to record their first attempt on target.
The visitors had their chances in the first half but striker Andre-Pierre Gignac lacked a cutting edge.
Lyon stayed second with 53 points from 28 games, four behind PSG who defeated bottom club Nancy on Saturday thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 23rd and 24th league goals.
Marseille occupy the third and final Champions League qualifying berth on 50, two more than fourth-placed St Etienne and fifth-ranked Nice, who beat Montpellier 2-0 on Sunday thanks to the promising Stephane Bahoken's first two goals in Ligue 1.
Champions Montpellier are seventh on 44.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - Dunga's Internacional hit five to reach final

Former Brazil coach Dunga's Internacional steam-rolled Sao Luiz 5-0 on Sunday to win the first stage of the Gaucho championship and qualify for the final of the competition.
Striker Leandro Damiao scored twice and Rafael Moura, Andres D'Alessandro and Gabriel shared the other goals as Inter overcame a difficult rain-sodden pitch.
They will meet the eventual winners of the second stage, still to be played, in the final.
Dunga, who captained Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning side, was appointed in December for his first coaching job since he led Brazil to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
The Gaucho championship, played in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, is one of a plethora of bafflingly complex regional tournaments which kick off the marathon Brazilian season.
Ten-man Sao Paulo overcame a red card for central defender Lucio to draw their derby 0-0 with Palmeiras and stay top of the Paulista championship's qualifying stage.
The former Brazil and Bayern Munich defender was dismissed for elbowing midfielder Jorge Valdivia early in the second half.
Dutchman Clarence Seedorf was involved in the only goal, scored by Lucas, as Botafogo beat Vasco da Gama 1-0 to win the first stage of Rio de Janeiro's Carioca championship.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - River Plate win overshadowed by fan stabbing

River Plate fans clashed with Colon supporters in a running battle on a Buenos Aires highway and local media reported a fan had been stabbed in further fighting near River's Monumental stadium before the home side's 2-1 win on Sunday.
David Trezeguet gave River the lead in the 11th minute when Colon goalkeeper Diego Pozo spilled Leonardo Ponzio's free kick and the former France striker tapped the ball in.
Midfielder Ponzio increased their lead in the 33rd minute with a fine finish that looped over Pozo before striker Emanuel Gigliotti pulled one back for Colon 16 minutes from time.
River, after their fourth win in five matches, lead with 12 points from five matches. They are a point ahead of Godoy Cruz and two in front of Lanus, who can reclaim the lead with a win at home to Arsenal on Monday.
Local media reported that a River fan had been stabbed on an avenue close to the ground before the "Final" championship match as violence continues to plague Argentine football.
There have been two deaths in the last week as a result of football-related incidents of violence.
On Saturday, Racing Club were coasting to a 3-0 victory at San Martin when referee Carlos Maglio abandoned the match in the 87th minute as hooligans hurled objects onto the pitch and attempted to break down perimeter fencing.
Police used fire hoses to try to stop the violence but to no avail.
San Martin coach Gabriel Perrone, who during the week suggested his team's rivals were favoured by referees after last weekend's 3-0 defeat away to champions Velez Sarsfield, resigned.
The Argentine Football Association is expected to confirm Racing won the match while San Martin remain in relegation trouble after 13 matches without a victory.

 

[Smallville22]

League One - Doncaster extend lead as Bounemouth lose again

Doncaster Rovers extended their lead atop League One after condemning Bournemouth to a fifth consecutive defeat.
Billy Paynter had put Rovers ahead but Matt Tubbs looked to have secured the Cherries a point when he levelled just four minutes from time, only for James Husband to grab a winner moments later and condemn their hosts to a fifth-straight defeat.
Sheffield United remain in second place after they were held to a goalless draw by MK Dons, while third-placed Swindon drew 2-2 with Walsall.
Andy Williams gave Swindon the lead before Will Grigg equalised from the penalty spot for the visitors. Simon Ferry put Swindon back ahead but they were denied all three points by Jamie Paterson's late strike.
Tranmere enhanced their promotion hopes with a 1-0 win over lowly Oldham thanks to Max Power's goal, while Yeovil were held to a goalless draw at Hartlepool.
Portsmouth moved off the foot of the table as they leapfrogged Bury - David Connolly grabbing both goals in a 2-0 win over the Shakers.
Steven Pressley enjoyed a winning start in charge of Coventry as the Sky Blues came from a goal down to beat relegation-threatened Scunthorpe 2-1 at Glanford Park. Akpo Sodje put the hosts ahead, but Carl Baker and Leon Clarke replied for Coventry.
Carlisle were 2-0 winners over play-off hopefuls Brentford thanks to goals from Sean O'Hanlon and Mark Beck, while Crawley and Notts County played out a goalless draw.
Mathias Pogba got the winner for Crewe as they won 2-1 at Colchester. Alex had led through a Luke Murphy penalty only for George Porter to level, but Pogba made sure of the three points.
Leyton Orient won 2-0 at Shrewsbury thanks to strikes from Mathieu Baudry and a Kevin Lisbie penalty and goals from Lee Holmes and William Hayhurst also gave Preston a 2-0 win, against Stevenage.

 

[Smallville22]

League Two - Gillingham continue title push with win over Plymouth

League Two leaders Gillingham continued their push for promotion with a 2-1 win over Plymouth at Priestfield Stadium.
Antonio German and Chris Whelpdale netted in each half with Jason Banton scoring for the visitors as Martin Allen’s side claimed another vital three points in their push for promotion.
They are now five points clear of Port Vale, who have taken just one point from the last four games following a 2-1 defeat by play-offs chasing Southend.
Vale's lack of confidence was obvious in the disjointed opening stages and Darren Purse came to the rescue after a mistake by Liam Chilvers let in Britt Assombalonga.
But Purse was culpable when his trip on Matt Lund, on loan at Southend from Vale's neighbours Stoke, led to the visitors taking the lead from a 19th minute penalty.
Sean Clohessy made no mistake with an unstoppable spot-kick high inside Chris Neal's left-hand post.
Assombalonga threatened twice more against a ponderous Vale defence before extending Southend's advantage in the 31st minute.
The fleet-footed striker turned Purse with ease and struck a right-foot shot from 14 yards which took a big deflection off Anthony Griffith to leave Chris Neal without a hope.
Lee Hughes gave the home side a lifeline just a minute later.
Chris Shuker flighted over a cross from the right and Hughes' glancing header from 10 yards sent the ball just inside Paul Smith's right-hand post.
Smith later denied Hughes an equaliser with a fine save, but Southend held firm for a deserved victory.
Torquay slipped closer to the relegation zone as they went down 3-1 at home to Oxford.
James Constable and a Damian Batt penalty put the visitors 2-0 up. Aaron Downes gave Torquay hope but Simon Heslop's late strike sealed the win.
Accrington could not take advantage of Torquay's defeat as goals from Chris Hackett and Roy O'Donovan saw them beaten 2-0 at fourth-placed Northampton.
Ten-man Rotherham slipped to sixth after a 2-1 defeat at home to Dagenham and Redbridge.
The home side had Kari Arnason sent off after bringing down Medy Elito in the area, and the Congolese midfielder picked himself up to open the scoring from the penalty spot. Claude Davis pulled the Millers level but Luke Wilkinson grabbed the winner eight minutes from time.
George Donnelly's late double helped Rochdale to a 4-1 win over Wycombe. Stuart Lewis had put Wanderers' ahead but an Ian Henderson strike and Michael Harriman's own goal saw the home side hit back before Donnelly sealed the win.
Fleetwood and Exeter played out a goalless draw while James O'Shea and Armand Gnanduillet gave Chesterfield a 2-0 success over Bristol Rovers.
Substitute Alan Connell scored a last-gasp penalty to earn Bradford a 1-1 draw against Aldershot, Kieron Cadogan had put the visitors ahead at the end of the first half.
Barnet hammered 10-man Morecambe 4-1 thanks to a Daniel Lopez hat-trick after the visitors had goalkeeper Barry Roche sent off. Jack Redshaw put Morecambe ahead but Luke Gambin levelled and Lopez's first made it 2-1.
Roche then brought down Gambin in the area and saw red, with Lopez converting the resulting penalty before completing his treble to improve the home side's survival prospects.
AFC Wimbledon hauled themselves out of the relegation zone as they emerged 3-2 winners over York, condemning visiting manager Nigel Worthington to a losing start.
Mat Mitchel-King put the Dons ahead but Chris Smith quickly headed in an equaliser. Brennan Dickenson put Wimbledon back ahead, only for Smith to level for a second time. But Harry Pell got the clinching goal with 11 minutes remaining.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - Billionaire Fedun plans to float Spartak Moscow shares

Spartak Moscow's billionaire owner Leonid Fedun plans to float the club's shares on the stock market in order to recoup some of the huge sums of money he has ploughed into the Russian Premier League side.
"My dream is to make the club self-sufficient within four or five years," said Fedun who has invested almost $1 billion since buying Spartak in 2003.
"The club does not represent a business venture for me right now," he told local media.
"It's more like a social mission, almost like it is for Bill Gates who spends 90 percent of his money on social projects," added Fedun of the American billionaire owner of Microsoft.
Fedun is rated among Russia's 20 richest men by Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $7.1 billion.
He has invested more than $500 million in the construction of a new ground for Spartak that is due to open in early 2014 in the north-west of Moscow.
Last month Fedun sold the naming rights on the stadium - which is due to host group matches in the 2017 Confederations Cup and the World Cup the following year - to a local bank in a six-year deal worth more than $40 million.
Spartak are the country's most popular and successful club with nine domestic titles between 1992-2001 but they have not won a trophy since lifting the Russian Cup in 2003.
They are fourth in the table, 11 points behind bitter city rivals and league leaders CSKA, with 10 matches left this season.

 

[Smallville22]

Rugby - Six Nations - Morgan out, Farrell fit for decider

England number eight Ben Morgan has been ruled out of the Six Nations decider against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
But England's hopes were boosted by the news that fly-half Owen Farrell is fit again and available for selection for the match at the Millennium Stadium.
First-choice number 10 Farrell missed the match against Italy at the weekend, and in his absence England looked a shadow of the side who had beaten Scotland, France and Ireland in convincing fashion.
Morgan was injured in the win over Scotland on the opening weekend of the tournament, but had hoped to return for the crunch match with reigning Grand Slam champions Wales.
The Gloucester forward has now been ruled out of Saturday's decider, however, which Wales need to win by eight points or more to clinch the championship for themselves and deny England a Grand Slam.
"Ben will stay at Gloucester this week. We knew his ankle would take six to eight weeks and he won't make it in time," Lancaster said.
Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes and Geoff Parling are also injury concerns for Stuart Lancaster's side, though the head coach is "optimistic" that all three will be ready for Saturday.

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - VW dedicates victory to engine team

Volkswagen Motorsport chief Jost Capito dedicated the team's Rally Mexico win to the engine-builder after the Polo R WRC emerged successful from its toughest test yet last weekend.
There had been strong speculation that the engine would be the weak spot of Volkswagen's first ever World Rally car as performance improvements would not come until late in the year.
Last weekend's central American event is also one of the toughest for engines in the WRC, given the high-altitude nature of the roads.
VW driver Sebastien Ogier won the Leon event by more than three minutes to take his second straight WRC victory.
Capito said: "We would like to dedicate this win to the engine guys, both in Volkswagen Motorsport and Volkswagen AG. They have worked so well together in developing the engine.
"Coming with this engine for the first time to this altitude, we know this was always going to be one of the most difficult things in the rally.
"The biggest challenge was to come here and keep giving the team the power and what they have done is extraordinary.
"To win with that engine in the neighbourhood of the country's Volkswagen plant makes us very proud people."

 

[Smallville22]

WTCC - ANOME want full season in WTCC

French motor racing team ANOME is considering entering the full 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship season after buying one of last year’s Zengö Motorsport’s BMW 320 TC cars.
A regular competitor in the French Supertourisme and the German VLN Endurance Cup, the team tested their BMW at Nogaro last week for the first time, and will test again next week at Monza on Thursday 14 March.
ANOME have confirmed that they will take part in the WTCC season opener at Monza, with Jean-Philippe Dayraut at the wheel. 43-year-old Dayraut is an experienced driver and very popular in France: a former Supertourisme champion in 2001, he later emerged as Yvan Muller’s heir in the Andros Trophy winning four titles as a works driver for KIA, Škoda, BMW and MINI.
Team Manager Nicolas Boillot explained: “We are really committed to putting together this programme, and we hope to achieve a good result at Monza in order to secure our participation in the full season.
"We are aware that this is a great challenge and there is a lot to do, but we have strong motivation because this programme would mark a significant step forward for our team.
"To be part of a top-level International series like WTCC is something we had dreamed of for a long time, and now we see that the dream may actually come true.”

 

[Smallville22]

Champions League - Wilshere to miss Bayern clash and England qualifiers

Midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss England's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro as well as Arsenal's Champions League match at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Tuesday.
"He has an inflamed ankle, the other ankle to the one he injured before," Wenger told reporters before his squad left for Wednesday's last 16 second leg in Germany.
"He will be out for three weeks and will not be available against Munich, Swansea and not for England."
England play San Marino on March 22 and Montenegro four days later.
Arsenal are optimistic that Wilshere, who is currently having treatment in Dubai, will be fit to return for their Premier League match against Reading on March 30.
Wilshere damaged his left ankle during Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on March 3 and has been slow to recover.
An injury to his right ankle sidelined him for the whole of last season.
Wenger added: "He has some bone bruising. The last time it deteriorated into a stress fracture. That's what we don't want to happen.
"We trust people who are specialists in this area. He was out for 17 months and we had to deal with it and so we will deal with it for two or three games."
Striker Lukas Podolski, who has been relegated to the bench for the last six matches, is also suffering with an ankle problem and is a doubt as Arsenal attempt to overcome a 3-1 first leg home defeat in Munich.
Arsenal will also be without defender Bacary Sagna for the match as he is suffering with knee and leg problems.
Wenger said Arsenal would have to make the "impossible possible" to stay in the competition.
"The chance is small," said Wenger, "but the chance makes the impossible possible. That would be a great credit for our team if we do it. We have to try to achieve it."

 

[Smallville22]

Six Nations - Wales captain Jones ruled out of England clash

Wales captain Ryan Jones has been ruled out of the Six Nations title decider against England in Cardiff.
Wales assistant coach Robin McBryde confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday that flanker Jones will miss Saturday's clash due to a shoulder injury.
Jones, who has skippered Wales a record 32 times, went off early in the second half of last weekend's match against Scotland at Murrayfield.
Wales have a ready-made leader in Sam Warburton, last season's Grand Slam captain, who delivered his best performance of the season against Scotland.

 

[Smallville22]

Motorsports - Kobayashi to race for Ferrari in endurance series

Japan's ex-Formula One driver Kamui Kobayashi will compete in this year's FIA World Endurance Championship as the first Asian to race for Ferrari.
Ferrari said Kobayashi, who lost his seat with the Sauber F1 team at the end of last year, would drive a GT car for the AF Corse team with his first event the Silverstone six hours on April 14.
"I really hope I can aim for the title," the 26-year-old told the Ferrari website (www.ferrari.com).
Kobayashi was his country's sole driver in Formula One last year, finishing third in his home race at Suzuka. The new season starts in Australia this weekend without a Japanese on the grid for the first time since 2003.

 

[Smallville22]

ERC - ERC regulars flock to Rally Islas Canarias

The 2013 FIA European Rally Championship will step up a gear next week when a star-studded line-up of ERC regulars heads to Gran Canaria for Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.
Seventeen of the 30 crews on the quality entry list for the international section of the rally, which takes place on challenging and spectacular asphalt stages from 21-23 March, are from the ERC.
After two exciting rallies in Austria and Latvia, the trip to the Spanish island marks the first time that a significant number of ERC regulars will be in action on the same event.
“We are delighted so many of our regular drivers will be making the trip to Gran Canaria,” said François Ribeiro, motorsport development director of Eurosport Events.
“We’ve had two great events in Austria and Latvia but Rally Islas Canarias is really where our season starts in terms of the fact a large number of ERC regulars will all be competing together.”
Since Eurosport Events became the promoter of the ERC under a 10-year agreement with the FIA – motorsport’s world governing body – at the start of the year, strenuous efforts have been made to attract a strong representation of regular ERC drivers and teams on each round under the championship’s strapline, Serious Competition Ahead.
“Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés is a perfect example of this work and there is every indication the entry lists will grow stronger and stronger on each of the upcoming rounds,” added Ribeiro.

 

[Smallville22]

WTCC - Oriola completes first Tuenti test

Pepe Oriola and the Tuenti Racing Team completed their first test session of the year on Monday at Montmeló’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The 18-year old Spaniard was at the wheel of the SEAT León 1.6 turbo he will drive in the 2013 WTCC, and was delighted with how his car ran:
"The car works very well. I felt very comfortable at the wheel, and I think we are in for a good season," he said.
"Last year we were fighting for the Yokohama Trophy and went close to win it. This us power and confidence for the new season.
"With the support of Tuenti Racing Team and SEAT Sport, my aim is to improving further and claim a top-six position in the Drivers’ Championship."
The Spanish team will test again at Monza on Thursday this week.

 

[Smallville22]

Serie A - Palermo sack Gasperini for second time this season

Palermo sacked coach Gian Piero Gasperini for the second time in a season on Monday as owner Maurizio Zamparini desperately battles to avoid the drop.
A statement said the Serie A club were now mulling who would take over with media reports speculating that Giuseppe Sannino, who managed the side for the first three games of the campaign, was favourite to be reappointed.
The Sicilians, under the stewardship of Gasperini for only two weeks in his second stint in charge, are second bottom and five points from safety with 10 games left after Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to fellow strugglers Siena.
"It would be mad if we managed to stay up at this point," a previously optimistic Zamparini said.
"We need luck and our players to be men instead of being gutless."
Hundreds of livid Palermo supporters more used to their side fighting for the European places protested outside the stadium after Sunday's loss, pelting objects at the team bus and chanting against the flamboyant and famously volatile Zamparini.
He has fired four coaches this season and reinstated one of them, a common practice in Italy where rules state no manager can boss two Serie A teams in a season.
Coaches also often remain under contract when sacked, meaning they are cheaper to rehire.
Zamparini dispensed with Sannino in September, saying the coach's relationship with the team had deteriorated, and replaced him with former Inter Milan boss Gasperini.
Gasperini was fired after his team lost to Atalanta at the start of February and replaced by Alberto Malesani, who was himself sacked after three games in charge. Zamparini then re-hired Gasperini only to fire him after two matches.

 

[Smallville22]

League One - Weather causes football postponements

Snow and freezing temperatures have taken a toll on the midweek football schedule.
Oldham's League One match at home to Hartlepool was the first match to fall, postponed due to a frozen pitch.
It is expected that several other games will fail pitch inspections on Tuesday ahead of a busy lower-league schedule that includes three Championship matches and full League One and League Two programme.

POSTPONED MATCHES

League One

Bury v Scunthorpe

Crewe v Sheffield United

Doncaster v Carlisle United

Oldham Athletic v Hartlepool

 

[Smallville22]

FA Cup - Henley set to miss rest of reason

Blackburn defender Adam Henley is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a fresh hamstring tear.
The 18-year-old Wales Under-21 right-back stands as one of the few bright sparks during a trying season at Ewood Park after breaking into the first team during Henning Berg's brief and unsuccessful stint as manager.
Henley was initially stuck by hamstring trouble during January's FA Cup third-round win over Bristol City.
Following almost two months on the sidelines, he returned to the side in recent weeks only to break down at Millwall in Sunday's goalless FA Cup quarter-final.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday night's replay, Rovers manger Michael Appleton said: "Poor Adam, he's done his hamstring again. A grade two (tear) and it looks quite a bad one.
"It's probably the end of his season, which is disappointing because he's a young player that obviously we rate very highly.
"I haven't seen much of him because of injury - it's probably the same with a few of the players since I've been at the club."
Blackburn are sweating on the fitness of David Bentley while Bradley Orr is set to join fellow right-back Henley on the sidelines.
Bentley took a blow to the knee during Sunday's goalless clash at The Den and Rovers' medical team will assess swelling around the former England midfielder's joint.
Orr is a major doubt after sustaining a rib injury.
Forward Leon Best, winger Josh King and midfielder David Dunn are expected to be pressed into action once again despite only recently leaving an injury list including Colin Kazim-Richards, Lee Williamson (both ankle), Martin Olsson (eye) and Dickson Etuhu (knee). On-loan Hull winger Cameron Stewart is cup tied, as is Wigan midfielder David Jones.

 

[Smallville22]

Liga - Strugglers Zaragoza and Granada share draw

Granada ended a run of three successive defeats to grab a 0-0 draw at fellow strugglers Real Zaragoza in La Liga, leaving both sides mired in the battle to avoid relegation.
The visiting Andalusians had a couple of chances to score through Odion Ighalo, but there was little else to separate the sides in a contest short on inspiration and littered with misplaced passes.
Granada stayed 16th on 27 points with 11 games left in the season.
Zaragoaza, yet to win in 2013, are 17th with 26 points, two ahead of the relegation places and 18th-placed Real Mallorca who beat Sevilla 2-1 on Saturday.
Promoted Galician sides Celta Vigo and Deportivo La Coruna occupy 19th and 20th places with 23 and 17 points respectively after defeats this weekend.

MATCH STATS

Los Maños controlled the ball for about half the match.

Real Zaragoza had eight shots, including three on target.

Rubén Rochina had five shots for Los Blanquillos, more than any of his team-mates.

Offside was called against Granada eight times during play.

The four attempts by Odion Ighalo were the most of any Granada player.

Toño stopped four shots.

Guillherme Siqueira's 16 passes to Nolito were the most between Granada team-mates during the match.

 

[Smallville22]

Horse Racing - Champagne Fever wins Cheltenham Festival opener

Ireland opened the Cheltenham Festival in perfect style as Champagne Fever won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle under Rudy Walsh.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Ireland opened the Cheltenham Festival in perfect style as Rudy Walsh recorded his 35th winner at the showpiece of the National Hunt calendar with a game victory on Champagne Fever in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Willie Mullins’ 5/1 shot held off favourite My Tent Or Yours down the home straight to win by half a length and looks likely to be vying for Champion Hurdle honours next season.
Mullins told Racing UK: "Ruby was very good, I didn't give him any instructions. He controlled it beautifully from the front."
Last year's Champion Bumper made all in the high-class curtain raiser, producing a game performance to defeat Nicky Henderson’s My Tent Or Yours – the 15/8 favourite.
Walsh said: "He jumped like a stag and travelled really well."
Owner JP McManus had to settle for second and third as Jezki (5/1) finished a further two-and-a-quarter lengths behind the front two.

1440 Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase

The soft ground has taken the edge off this race with the blunting of the lightning speed of front runner Overturn.
Donald McCain’s pint-sized star was Champion Hurdle class, as Simonsig would have been if trainer Nicky Henderson had opted to stick with the smaller obstacles.
Simonsig has no such ground concerns and only has Willie Mullins’s Arvika Ligeonniere to worry about and we're not convinced about his jumping.

Selection: Simonsig 5pts win

1520 JLT Speciality Handicap Chase

Competitive as ever but the market leaders are all there on potential rather than achievement.

Not sure many of those connections banked for testing conditions and we prefer proven top class stayers in this field. Midnight Class and Planet of Sound won’t enjoy the ground but are decent outsiders, but we go for Hey Big Spender at big odds. He was being talked up as a Gold Cup horse last season but has been off the boil this term. A second place 10 days ago at Newbury gives hope and he will revel in the ground.

Selection: Hey Big Spender 2.5pts each way

1600 Champion Hurdle

Pace is the key to this year’s renewal, or to be more precise a lack of pace.
Overturn made it an end-to-end gallop last season but this is going to be cagey with a mad dash in the last six furlongs.
On the book there is not a lot to choose between Zarkandar, Grandouet, Binocular, Rock On Ruby and Countrywide Flame.
We would not say Hurricane Fly has tonnes in hand on that lot but the tactical nature of the race will play into his hands as will the ground.
No horse other than Comedy of Errors has retained a Champion Hurdle crown after losing it but trainer Willie Mullins is very bullish. He says the horse was slightly off-key last year, unlike now. Take the hint.

Selection: Hurricane Fly 5pts win

1640 Mares’ Hurdle

A fifth straight triumph in the race for Quevega would be the icing on the cake for what could be a monster first day for trainer Willie Mullins.
Head and shoulders above the others on ratings, Quevaga would hose home in the tougher option of the World Hurdle later this week and is the only horse in training that could give the mighty Big Buck’s a real race. Should win, will win.

Selection: Quevega 10pts win (NAP)

1715 Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase

Toughest race for me to call on the first day and that’s mainly because projected banker Carlito Brigante is going to hate the conditions.
A tentative vote goes to Venetia Williams’s Shangani who ticks the right boxes in terms of trainer course form, a progressive profile and a liking for soft ground.

Selection: Shangani 1.5pts each-way

 

[Smallville22]

WTCC - More testing for MacDowall and Nash

The bamboo-engineering team have completed yet another test day, this time in Pembrey, South Wales, as part of their preparation for the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The British outfit put more kilometres under their belt as part of their comprehensive groundwork for the season by completing a test programme with their Chevrolet Cruze cars.
Both Alex MacDowall and James Nash had full test schedules and made the most of the track time, despite some harsh conditions including a brief snow-storm making life a little uncomfortable for their mechanics.
Richard Coleman, Chief Executive of bamboo-engineering commented: “We completed an ample programme of tests in some tricky conditions but, testament to the team’s commitment, everything went according to the plan.
"Preparations for this year are really starting to come together and we are approaching this season with a view to being at the front.”