As if he did not have enough to worry about, what with his horsebox diverted by a motorway accident and Newbury shrouded in fog, Philip Hobbs was yesterday masterminding his 120-strong team in Somerset with one good arm. The shoulder weakness that afflicted his riding career had re-emerged in mortifying fashion on the ski slopes of Val d'Isère.
It happened last Friday, just as Hobbs and his good friend, Nigel Twiston-Davies, were congratulating each other for completing a particularly hazardous black run. “I'd done the hard bit and must have been travelling at all of four miles an hour when I tripped over the end of a ski,” he confessed. “Very painful and inconvenient.”
Hobbs spent 24 hours in an Alpine hospital, which was not quite his intention when he escaped the British freeze-up for an impromptu break. He said: “My left shoulder is dislocated and has a minor chipped bone. I must have dislocated the same one five or six times when I was riding but the last time was 25 years ago.”
Confined to barracks, Hobbs saw some Cheltenham hopes encounter mixed fortunes at Newbury. Planet Of Sound won again and is a probable for the Grand Annual Chase but Cockney Trucker was put in his place by the gargantuan Mad Max.
Hobbs is hoping to be back on racecourse duty at Haydock on Saturday, when Snap Tie will bid to enhance his Champion Hurdle credentials if the ground does not deteriorate. Meantime, he is predictably receiving no sympathy from Twiston-Davies, who stayed on the slopes for three more days.
For Twiston-Davies, though, the holiday was a fleeting respite from battling whatever ailment has restricted his horses to one winner since late November. Back home last night, he hopes for a lift at Ludlow today, when his elder son Sam takes his first ride under Rules on the hurdler On Spec.
The Dubai Carnival begins today with the first of 11 meetings climaxing in the World Cup on March 28. No expense spared in this land of fantasy, though apparently even the sheikhs occasionally have trouble with building projects.
Last week saw a brief hitch in the starry development of Meydan racecourse, which will replace Nad Al Sheba next year. Deadlines were being missed, so the construction contract - worth a cool £890 million - was summarily cancelled. Doubtless, things are now in new hands and right back on track but, in these straitened times back home, it was just a tad reassuring.
Two years ago, the paparazzi descended on Cheltenham and captured the last public appearance of Prince William and Kate Middleton before their romance temporarily hit the rocks. Last March, the cameras were trained on Zara Phillips and her rugby-playing boyfriend Mike Tindall, who was arrested the following morning on a drink-driving charge that has cost him his licence for three years.
It all helps Cheltenham get into the celeb magazines, of course, but the racecourse executive may be hoping for a Festival free of royal scandal this time - the Queen is expected to attend for the first time in several years.
David Johnson, the champion jumps owner, is blunt about racing's vulnerability to the economy. He says: “A lot of owners are taking the same route as me and cutting back sharply. Plenty I know have gone out of the game completely. Bread-and-butter jumps owners are passionate people but they will struggle. There will be less horses about, less jobs for stable staff - and 2009 will be worse than 2008.”
Such unalloyed words will alarm an already jittery bloodstock industry. The latest distressing indicators came from Ireland this week, where the annual figures showed bloodstock auction sales had dropped 43 per cent, year on year.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Matthew Hayden’s decision to walk presents Andrew Strauss with his opening headache
As Matthew Hayden leaves international cricket to spend more time with his surfboard, England must find another way to unsettle Australia in this summer’s Ashes series. Perverse as it sounds, the retirement of the player described by Ricky Ponting as the greatest opening batsman in his country’s history is bad news for Andrew Strauss and his colleagues.
The argument does not rest entirely with statistics that confirm Hayden’s decline, unflattering though they are. Since he made hundreds in successive Test innings against India 12 months ago, he has scored 383 runs (without a century) at an average of 23.93. If the decision was hard for Hayden, then it spared the selectors an even tougher call.
The likelihood now is that Australia will puff out their chests and enter the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on July 8, with a better option alongside Simon Katich, whose recent progress has been inversely proportional to the decline of his partner. That is the reality left behind once the tributes rightfully pouring in to Hayden are shaped into a bookend for his career.
Eight good, very good or great Australia players who featured on the 2005 Ashes tour have called time on their careers. Shane Warne heads the group, followed by Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, with Hayden and then Justin Langer slightly below. Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn and Stuart MThe climate means that Australia will never be short of batsmen. Phil Jaques, favoured to replace Hayden if he can recover from back surgery, has scored 902 runs in 11 Tests. He also has experience of English conditions, with a combined championship average of 59.31 over five seasons for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Chris Rogers, another contender, averages 53.07 between 2004 and 2008 at Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Hayden was unable to find his best form in his two series in England. His average here of 34.50 (with only two scores over fifty) is his lowest in any country other than New Zealand. By no coincidence, England and New Zealand made a conscious effort to stand up to his strong, some think bullying, presence in the Australia side.
Anybody tracing England’s triumph in 2005 should remember a floodlit one-day international at Edgbaston before the Test matches. Hayden, at that time the leading opener in the world, was rattled on the field when Simon Jones, in his follow-through, took aim at the stumps and struck the batsman on the shoulder instead. As he moved to eyeball Jones, Hayden found himself surrounded by fielders. Message: England would not be intimidated. Hayden was soon dismissed by Jones without adding to his 14 runs.
He was soon rattled off the field, too. Later that evening, a rumour spread that he had sworn at one of the boys in the guard of honour when Australia ran on to the field for England’s innings. Hayden denied the charge vehemently. Warwickshire, the host county, received no complaint and no upset child or angry parent ever came forward. While nobody revealed a source, Hayden suspected a stitch-up by the England team. The matter festered with him through the trip.
Perhaps it was coincidence that he never got going in the subsequent Tests and his influence waned. By the time of the decisive game at the Brit Oval, his form had dipped to the point where some former Australia players were calling for his omission. Four years on, England would have tried to unsettle him as a plank of strategy once again. They need to rethink.
Andrew Flintoff is bound to figure in the Ashes, fitness permitting, and the all-rounder has played down his role in the chain of events that led to the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as captain and sacking of Peter Moores as head coach. “I hoped both could carry on,” he said. “I supported Kevin as captain and also enjoyed working with Peter.”
Recipe for success
- Matthew Hayden made his one-day international debut in 1993 and his Test debut a year later but it took him until 2000 to establish himself in either format.
- He made 8,625 runs in Tests at an average of 50.73. The highest of his 30 hundreds was 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, at that time the world record.
- The left-hander scored more than 1,000 Test runs in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the first man to achieve the feat five times.
- In the 2007 World Cup, he hit three centuries, including one against South Africa that took only 66 balls.
- He is a devout Catholic and has published two cookery books.
source: the london times
The argument does not rest entirely with statistics that confirm Hayden’s decline, unflattering though they are. Since he made hundreds in successive Test innings against India 12 months ago, he has scored 383 runs (without a century) at an average of 23.93. If the decision was hard for Hayden, then it spared the selectors an even tougher call.
The likelihood now is that Australia will puff out their chests and enter the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on July 8, with a better option alongside Simon Katich, whose recent progress has been inversely proportional to the decline of his partner. That is the reality left behind once the tributes rightfully pouring in to Hayden are shaped into a bookend for his career.
Eight good, very good or great Australia players who featured on the 2005 Ashes tour have called time on their careers. Shane Warne heads the group, followed by Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, with Hayden and then Justin Langer slightly below. Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn and Stuart MThe climate means that Australia will never be short of batsmen. Phil Jaques, favoured to replace Hayden if he can recover from back surgery, has scored 902 runs in 11 Tests. He also has experience of English conditions, with a combined championship average of 59.31 over five seasons for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Chris Rogers, another contender, averages 53.07 between 2004 and 2008 at Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Hayden was unable to find his best form in his two series in England. His average here of 34.50 (with only two scores over fifty) is his lowest in any country other than New Zealand. By no coincidence, England and New Zealand made a conscious effort to stand up to his strong, some think bullying, presence in the Australia side.
Anybody tracing England’s triumph in 2005 should remember a floodlit one-day international at Edgbaston before the Test matches. Hayden, at that time the leading opener in the world, was rattled on the field when Simon Jones, in his follow-through, took aim at the stumps and struck the batsman on the shoulder instead. As he moved to eyeball Jones, Hayden found himself surrounded by fielders. Message: England would not be intimidated. Hayden was soon dismissed by Jones without adding to his 14 runs.
He was soon rattled off the field, too. Later that evening, a rumour spread that he had sworn at one of the boys in the guard of honour when Australia ran on to the field for England’s innings. Hayden denied the charge vehemently. Warwickshire, the host county, received no complaint and no upset child or angry parent ever came forward. While nobody revealed a source, Hayden suspected a stitch-up by the England team. The matter festered with him through the trip.
Perhaps it was coincidence that he never got going in the subsequent Tests and his influence waned. By the time of the decisive game at the Brit Oval, his form had dipped to the point where some former Australia players were calling for his omission. Four years on, England would have tried to unsettle him as a plank of strategy once again. They need to rethink.
Andrew Flintoff is bound to figure in the Ashes, fitness permitting, and the all-rounder has played down his role in the chain of events that led to the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as captain and sacking of Peter Moores as head coach. “I hoped both could carry on,” he said. “I supported Kevin as captain and also enjoyed working with Peter.”
Recipe for success
- Matthew Hayden made his one-day international debut in 1993 and his Test debut a year later but it took him until 2000 to establish himself in either format.
- He made 8,625 runs in Tests at an average of 50.73. The highest of his 30 hundreds was 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, at that time the world record.
- The left-hander scored more than 1,000 Test runs in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the first man to achieve the feat five times.
- In the 2007 World Cup, he hit three centuries, including one against South Africa that took only 66 balls.
- He is a devout Catholic and has published two cookery books.
source: the london times
Manchester United: 08/09 title will be sweetest yet
As United were outplaying, out thinking and totally outclassing a lacklustre Chelsea side yesterday, the United fans at Old Trafford and the 11 on the pitch were making all the right noises – something Rafael Benitez had failed to do on Friday.
Benitez had claimed at his press conference that United’s result against Chelsea would not matter ‘if we (Liverpool) win at Stoke’. Unfortunately for Benitez, Liverpool failed to beat Stoke (17th in the table) for the second time this season and United went on to thrash Chelsea.
United’s fans and players seemed inspired in what was arguably our strongest performance all season. It was as if they had been given the motivation and inspiration to show the rest of the Premiership exactly which team are the Champions. Coincidentally this came after Benitez’s untimely press conference.
For the best part of two months it has seemed like Liverpool fans have been becoming increasingly confident, smug and celebratory as their team has occupied top spot. Despite only being January, the majority of Liverpool fans have been happy to announce how sorry United would be in May and how disappointed Fergie was going to be that he hadn’t equalled Liverpool’s 18 titles. It was after watching Benitez’s press conference in full and having noticed the premature celebratory mood from Liverpool fans that I thought to myself that when United inevitably lift the title in May, this years Premiership title will be the sweetest yet.
Then I got the feeling I wasn’t the only one. In between the ironic cheers for John Terry, Old Trafford roared and asked; ‘Are you watching Merseyside?’
At his press conference Benitez told the waiting press what he thought about Mr Ferguson as he had scrawled a few ‘facts’ on a piece of A4 which he wanted to share. Admittedly, the timing could have been great, Liverpool could have battered Stoke and United could have lost or even drawn.
Upon first seeing the ‘Rafa rant’ I thought aspects of it were quite funny, particularly the suggestion the Fergie should compile the fixtures and send them to other Premier League managers. I am sure even the most ardent supporter would have chuckled at some of his comments. Then, the hilarity of it really began to sink in as Stoke held Liverpool to a goalless draw on Saturday.
The suggestion made by the press that Benitez was having a Kevin Keegan moment is perhaps a little inaccurate - inaccurate because Keegan could be forgiven. He was caught at a highly emotional moment without the opportunity to prepare a detailed response like Benitez did. He exploded in a rash moment of madness. The fact that Benitez went to the effort of finding examples, scenarios and ‘facts’ shows the man has been truly affected by the mind games from the master.
This carefully documented tirade would surely not have come from a man who is confident that his table toppers will continue their excellent form and win the Premier League. The bait laid by Ferguson should have been brushed of with a simple ‘we are top of the league, end of story’. If Benitez would have left the press conference after his first remarks then his credibility would have most definitely remained intact. Claiming Ferguson was nervous that Liverpool are top of the league would have sufficed in gaining an advantage in the mind-games stakes. As it is, Benitez has heaped pressure upon himself and his team by embracing Ferguson so early in the season.
While United have endured a disjointed spluttering start, Liverpool have, the majority of the time, been playing their best football and have built a small advantage at the top. Recently it had been suggested in some quarters that United were scared and worried about Liverpool being top. This was probably true of the majority of United fans, but, after the annihilation of Chelsea and with Benitez seemingly back to his ‘Tinkerman’ best, United fans are now filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Of the 10 Premiership trophies won since Liverpool last claimed the title, there have been a few which have stood out as being sweeter than the rest. Winning it the first time, winning it in the treble year, last years victory and the title which ended Mourinho’s seemingly unstoppable reign were all special. For me though none of these would compare with the delight United fans will have when we beat Liverpool to the title. United and Ferguson seem to be finding some form at just the right time as Benitez and Liverpool are firing blanks. I suggest Liverpool fans and Rafa Benitez make room in the record books as Mr Ferguson is coming to collect United’s 18th title and, like many other United fans, for me this one will be the sweetest……………………………….
Benitez had claimed at his press conference that United’s result against Chelsea would not matter ‘if we (Liverpool) win at Stoke’. Unfortunately for Benitez, Liverpool failed to beat Stoke (17th in the table) for the second time this season and United went on to thrash Chelsea.
United’s fans and players seemed inspired in what was arguably our strongest performance all season. It was as if they had been given the motivation and inspiration to show the rest of the Premiership exactly which team are the Champions. Coincidentally this came after Benitez’s untimely press conference.
For the best part of two months it has seemed like Liverpool fans have been becoming increasingly confident, smug and celebratory as their team has occupied top spot. Despite only being January, the majority of Liverpool fans have been happy to announce how sorry United would be in May and how disappointed Fergie was going to be that he hadn’t equalled Liverpool’s 18 titles. It was after watching Benitez’s press conference in full and having noticed the premature celebratory mood from Liverpool fans that I thought to myself that when United inevitably lift the title in May, this years Premiership title will be the sweetest yet.
Then I got the feeling I wasn’t the only one. In between the ironic cheers for John Terry, Old Trafford roared and asked; ‘Are you watching Merseyside?’
At his press conference Benitez told the waiting press what he thought about Mr Ferguson as he had scrawled a few ‘facts’ on a piece of A4 which he wanted to share. Admittedly, the timing could have been great, Liverpool could have battered Stoke and United could have lost or even drawn.
Upon first seeing the ‘Rafa rant’ I thought aspects of it were quite funny, particularly the suggestion the Fergie should compile the fixtures and send them to other Premier League managers. I am sure even the most ardent supporter would have chuckled at some of his comments. Then, the hilarity of it really began to sink in as Stoke held Liverpool to a goalless draw on Saturday.
The suggestion made by the press that Benitez was having a Kevin Keegan moment is perhaps a little inaccurate - inaccurate because Keegan could be forgiven. He was caught at a highly emotional moment without the opportunity to prepare a detailed response like Benitez did. He exploded in a rash moment of madness. The fact that Benitez went to the effort of finding examples, scenarios and ‘facts’ shows the man has been truly affected by the mind games from the master.
This carefully documented tirade would surely not have come from a man who is confident that his table toppers will continue their excellent form and win the Premier League. The bait laid by Ferguson should have been brushed of with a simple ‘we are top of the league, end of story’. If Benitez would have left the press conference after his first remarks then his credibility would have most definitely remained intact. Claiming Ferguson was nervous that Liverpool are top of the league would have sufficed in gaining an advantage in the mind-games stakes. As it is, Benitez has heaped pressure upon himself and his team by embracing Ferguson so early in the season.
While United have endured a disjointed spluttering start, Liverpool have, the majority of the time, been playing their best football and have built a small advantage at the top. Recently it had been suggested in some quarters that United were scared and worried about Liverpool being top. This was probably true of the majority of United fans, but, after the annihilation of Chelsea and with Benitez seemingly back to his ‘Tinkerman’ best, United fans are now filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Of the 10 Premiership trophies won since Liverpool last claimed the title, there have been a few which have stood out as being sweeter than the rest. Winning it the first time, winning it in the treble year, last years victory and the title which ended Mourinho’s seemingly unstoppable reign were all special. For me though none of these would compare with the delight United fans will have when we beat Liverpool to the title. United and Ferguson seem to be finding some form at just the right time as Benitez and Liverpool are firing blanks. I suggest Liverpool fans and Rafa Benitez make room in the record books as Mr Ferguson is coming to collect United’s 18th title and, like many other United fans, for me this one will be the sweetest……………………………….
Kaka 'turns down Manchester City's £91m offer'
Kaka appears to have turned down Manchester City's £91m offer, by claiming he wants to "grow old" at AC Milan.
The Brazilian playmaker was the subject of a world-record bid yesterday, with Sheikh Mansour, City's billionaire owner from Abu Dhabi, reportedly willing to offer Kaka around £13.6 million a year after tax.
However his latest statement, which has appeared on the website of Mediaset, a company controlled by Silvio Berlusconi, the Milan president and Italian Prime Minister, may now bring an end to City's hopes of completing the deal.
I want to grow old at Milan," Kaka said. "My aim is to become, at some point in the future, the captain of this team.
"I know there is a pecking order, with (Paolo) Maldini at the front at then (Massimo) Ambrosini, but after that...
"I have already turned down some major offers."
Officials from the Barclays Premier League club met their counterparts from the Serie A team in Milan yesterday, however, yesterday Berlusconi, the Milan owner, attempted to play down reports of the offer.
“I don’t know anything about any offer, but I do hope Kaka is not for sale and that he stays," he said.
Earlier today, Diogo Kotscho, Kaka's spokesman, warned that it would take more than a huge salary to tempt his client away from the San Siro.
"Kaka wouldn't do anything based on money", he said. "He would never do something like Robinho [the striker who joined Manchester City for a British record £34.2million in the summer], who, just to earn more, contented himself with a solution that was not a winning one."
The 26-year-old's agent also indicated that were he to leave Milan, it would only be for another “big club”, one that would challenge for the major trophies. Kotscho confirmed Kaka wants to play in the Premier League at some stage and that he would consider other clubs if City's offer does not suit either Milan or himself.
"Yes he will," he added, "but as I said we have to have a deal between the two clubs and negotiations with AC Milan for Kaka ... is a very difficult challenge."
Kaka, who won the Ballon d’Or and Fifa World Player of the Year awards 12 months ago, signed a new contract at the San Siro last year that pays him £10m this season and rises by a million pounds each year until it expires in 2013.
source:the london times
The Brazilian playmaker was the subject of a world-record bid yesterday, with Sheikh Mansour, City's billionaire owner from Abu Dhabi, reportedly willing to offer Kaka around £13.6 million a year after tax.
However his latest statement, which has appeared on the website of Mediaset, a company controlled by Silvio Berlusconi, the Milan president and Italian Prime Minister, may now bring an end to City's hopes of completing the deal.
I want to grow old at Milan," Kaka said. "My aim is to become, at some point in the future, the captain of this team.
"I know there is a pecking order, with (Paolo) Maldini at the front at then (Massimo) Ambrosini, but after that...
"I have already turned down some major offers."
Officials from the Barclays Premier League club met their counterparts from the Serie A team in Milan yesterday, however, yesterday Berlusconi, the Milan owner, attempted to play down reports of the offer.
“I don’t know anything about any offer, but I do hope Kaka is not for sale and that he stays," he said.
Earlier today, Diogo Kotscho, Kaka's spokesman, warned that it would take more than a huge salary to tempt his client away from the San Siro.
"Kaka wouldn't do anything based on money", he said. "He would never do something like Robinho [the striker who joined Manchester City for a British record £34.2million in the summer], who, just to earn more, contented himself with a solution that was not a winning one."
The 26-year-old's agent also indicated that were he to leave Milan, it would only be for another “big club”, one that would challenge for the major trophies. Kotscho confirmed Kaka wants to play in the Premier League at some stage and that he would consider other clubs if City's offer does not suit either Milan or himself.
"Yes he will," he added, "but as I said we have to have a deal between the two clubs and negotiations with AC Milan for Kaka ... is a very difficult challenge."
Kaka, who won the Ballon d’Or and Fifa World Player of the Year awards 12 months ago, signed a new contract at the San Siro last year that pays him £10m this season and rises by a million pounds each year until it expires in 2013.
source:the london times
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