| Three and out: Jay Cutler, Bears setting the offensive pace so far Jay Cutler marked his first year in the Windy City by coughing up an NFL-high 26 interceptions last season, but two weeks into the new campaign ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Talking Horses: The latest news and best bets plus our weekly tipping competition The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus day two of our weekly tipping competition2.25pm Owners keen to go overseas with CanfordTony Paley: The owners of outstanding miler Canford Cliffs may ensure he races abroad before the season is finished it emerged today. The Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old has always looked the ideal sort for the Breeders' Cup but the handler has never been keen on shipping the colt to America.Winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace and Sussex Stakes, Canford Cliffs was due to run in last Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. An unsatisfactory scope forced his withdrawal after which Hannon indicated that the son of Tagula would not run again this year. Now, the colt's owners want to look at the remaining foreign options this term. "The owners seem keen to have another run, though there is nothing left for him in Europe, so I suppose if he does go again they will be looking at the Breeders' Cup Mile in Kentucky as well as Japan and Hong Kong," said Hannon. "If they decide against travelling him this year, we'll pack him up until next season."Hannon also had news of another Breeders' possible in Paco Boy and Dick Turpin. "Paco Boy is on target to take on Goldikova again on Sunday in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp and I would imagine that the owners will then sit down and decide whether to have one last roll of the dice at Churchill Downs," Hannon told http://www.richardhannonracing.tv."Dick Turpin, who like Canford Cliffs is coming back to us as a four-year-old, is not entered in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket so he has just the one option if [owner] John Manley wants to run again, the Vittorio di Capua in Milan on Sunday week."1.20pm Lemaire banks on Behkabad in ArcChristophe Lemaire is banking on Behkabad to give him a first Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe success at Longchamp on Sunday. The French jockey has chosen the Grand Prix de Paris and Prix Niel winner over owner the Aga Khan's other runner, Sarafina. Gerald Mosse will team up with the Prix de Diane heroine, who was third to Midday in the Prix Vermeille last time. "Christophe Lemaire has made up his mind and will ride Behkabad, and Gerald Mosse will be riding Sarafina," said Georges Rimaud, racing manager to owner the Aga Khan. "I suppose Christophe feels Behkabad has a better chance, but I haven't spoken to him on that specific line. I think he feels the horse is right and is going to progress from his last race, even though he won it. "Sarafina has come on since her last race. She worked this morning without any great sparkle, as she normally does, but the trainer was pleased with her work and everything is on course with her as well." Lope De Vega, winner of the French 2,000 Guineas and Prix du Jockey Club, is likely to be added to the field at Thursday's supplementary stage. Since those Classic victories, the colt has suffered defeats in the Prix Jean Prat and Prix du Moulin, both over a mile, but his trainer Andre Fabre is a past master having won the Arc seven times. Crispin de Moubray, racing manager for owners Gestut Ammerland, said: "I've always said this horse was brilliant, but he's taken a rather unusual route to get here. He was a freak of a horse in the Jockey Club, in which he easily beat Planteur - I don't think anything could have lived with him that day. "I don't see any reason why the horse shouldn't stay, especially if there's a fast pace which should help him settle early. I also don't see why he should not mind it if it's testing ground. The forecast is for six millimetres of rain on Saturday and five on Sunday, and that should be fine for him." PA12.45pm Is bikini beach racing the answer to the sport's problems?Tony Paley: The news revealed on our site that bikini beach racing, already a hit at Hollywood Park in California, is going to be introduced in Australia has led some on Twitter to mischevously suggest that this is something Racing For Change could take a look at.There have been pioneers in this field in Britain. Sedgefield, where they race today, already have a wife-carrying contest which was first held in 2004. And Monty Python got there first back in the 1970s on BBC1 as far as women hurtling down the home straight is concerned when they ran the Queen Victoria Stakes. Perhaps the bikini beach racing could include leaping over fences too.Today's best bets, by Greg WoodIf Richard Hughes is to get anywhere near Paul Hanagan in the race for the jockeys' championship, this is a day when he needs to score heavily. Hanagan, currently 14 clear of his only credible rival, is not riding today, while Hughes has a full book of eight rides at Newbury, including three probable favourites and only one that is likely to start at double-figure odds.Richard Hannon, as usual, is Hughes's main ally this afternoon, and both Poppy (2.00) and Puttingonthestyle (2.35) bring solid debut form to their respective maidens at the top of the card. Autumn maidens at Newbury do have a habit of producing potential stars from the unraced contingent, though, so bets should be kept to a minimum.It will be a real surprise, though, if Regal Park (6.00) does not give Hughes a winner in the closing event, while Sohrab (nap 4.55) has a great deal more to recommend him in his recent form than most of his opponents today.Tipping competition - day twoThe early abandonment Bath's meeting yesterday owing to fog robbed the tipping competition of its third and final leg. Cairo was the only one to get both of the other winners and has an early lead.This week's prize is a copy of Frankincense and More, the biography of Barry Hills, written by Robin Oakley, who was once the BBC's political editor. It includes "an analysis of Barry's own betting habits and coups", the blurb says, and should make for fascinating reading.For today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 2.10 Brighton, 3.45 Newbury, 3.55 Brighton.As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.For terms and conditions click here.Good luck!Standings after day oneCairo +10.5tom1977 +7Maurice1NL +1.5MrPositive +1.5Londonpatrick +1.5Shear39 +1.5Moidadembums +1.515244 +1.5melonk +1.5erifder +1.5Akcptgrey +1.5Diegoisgod +1.5johne5knuckle +1.5TL127 +1.5MillieJ +1.5Rivercity +1.5Chiefhk +1.5JahLion +1.5Donlewis +1.5DrSativa +1.5Ormrod76 -2Tampabay -2orso -2chrishol -2Walthamstowlad -2shrewdette -2robmct -2MISTERCHESTER -2sandiuk -2sangfroid -2JDK1 -2Viejo -2titusisashambles -2robsonvall -2zanno -2Harrytheactor -2The Vic -2Scandalous -2Peterpickum -2Snowy81 -2BearRides -2Millreef -2Factormax -2Mai11 -2Superscouser -2Elmatador1 -2Ellandback -2Rollneck -223skidoo -2goofs -2suckzinclee -2xwireman -2copshaw -2carl31 -2brochdoll -2pops2 -2teddyfrost -2byrnedjp -2xerox91 -2mulldog -2slackdad -2sportingchad -2twig28 -2Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.Click here for today's latest odds.And post your racing-related comments below.Horse racingHorse racing tipsGreg WoodTony Paleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Hamilton's title bid fades away in Japan • Briton 28 points behind Mark Webber• Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel wins at SuzukaLewis Hamilton's hopes of winning his second Formula One world championship are almost certainly over after a weekend in Japan which he said was the worst of his career. The McLaren driver finished fifth in the Japanese grand prix today and he now trails the championship leader, Mark Webber of Red Bull, by 28 points with three races remaining. Hamilton is fourth in the standings, having been overtaken by Sebastian Vettel, who won here ahead of his team-mate Webber.Hamilton's weekend contained a series of mishaps. He crashed in the first practice session on Friday and was then given a five-place grid penalty when his team were forced to put a new gearbox on his car. After Hamilton started from eighth, that new gearbox malfunctioned and he could not access third gear in the second half of the race. To make matters worse, he had an ear infection."I've had bad weekends but nothing overall as bad," said Hamilton. "This is the worst of all of them. I don't know what I have been kicked around by but I have definitely had a tough one. The crash was my fault but the rest ..." His voice tailed off, briefly. "I am just happy to have finished the race," he said. "I mean that's five races and two finishes."There was also little to smile about for Hamilton's fellow Briton at McLaren, Jenson Button, who finished fourth and is now 31 points behind Webber. Hamilton said: "The championship doesn't look great at the moment. But there are still three races to go and 75 points available, so we'll remain optimistic and keep doing the best job we can. I'll keep fighting."Could the season be rescued over the remaining grands prix?"I have no idea, your guess is as good as mine," he said. "If it is statistically possible, then it is realistically possible. We have to do as much as we can. It is all or nothing in the next three races. It is one of those character-building times that people talk about."He had feared he would not finish here after losing one of his gears. "I didn't think it was going to make it, if I'm honest," he said. "[The gearbox] was making a lot of noise, so I just kept my fingers crossed and tried not to do too many shifts and look after it. I had a good gap to those behind me, so I had a bit of time I could waste."[The ear infection] affected my balance a bit and left me deaf in [my] left ear. I could not use [an] ear plug. I used [a] cotton-wool bud. It was bruised and couldn't hear a thing. Both ears [were] blocked in the race."Button, the reigning world champion, felt he that he had got the maximum out of his car, after McLaren made a series of upgrades which they hoped would make them more competitive. Button had tried to gain an advantage by starting with a harder tyre but his rivals maintained a strong pace on the softer "option" tyres."It was a tough race on such old tyres but it was fun once we'd fitted the option; the car felt great – I had a lot of grip and the car was very fast," Button said. "Still, we weren't quick enough today to beat the Red Bulls and possibly the Ferrari. And I don't think we'd have finished any further up [with soft tyres for the whole race]."He acknowledged that he could have changed tyres earlier. "I think we stayed out too long for our first stint," he said. "As soon as we saw the others were quick on the option and I wasn't able to pull a gap or pressure anyone in front, maybe it would have been sensible to pit at that point and fit the option. We'll go away and look at the data and the reasons for it."Vettel said he was in a "very good position" in the title race. Webber, who leads by 14 points, was asked if his team-mate was his main rival. "Two weeks ago it was Lewis Hamilton, then it was Fernando [Alonso]," he said. "It's chopping and changing but the most important thing is that the gap is going the right way. I need to keep it like that."Lewis HamiltonJenson ButtonMcLarenFormula OneMotor sportOliver Owenguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Purdue senior Robbie Hummel out for season with torn ACL Hummel will miss the 2010-11 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in practice Saturday, the school's athletic department ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Ex-Oilers owner gets home detention for perjury By GREG RISLING 2010-10-27T18:09:23ZRIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- Former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was sentenced Wednesday to six months of home detention for making false statements in his Southern California bankruptcy case.... hosted.ap.org |