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Champions League round-up: Manchester City & Real Madrid victorious

Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool were on the receiving end.

The Champions League recommenced tonight with two blockbuster games to kick off the quarter-finals, namely Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid vs Liverpool.

Although it’s “only” the first leg and there’s much to be played for yet, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund suffered major setbacks tonight, losing their ties. However, they did both manage to score an away goal which could prove crucial going into the second leg next week.

Liverpool will be the more red-faced of the two, having been outclassed for much of the game against a superior Real Madrid team – on the night, anyways.

Madrid struck first through Vinicius Junior in the 27th minute. Toni Kroos played a fantastic lobbed pass over the top of the Liverpool defence which the aforementioned Vinicius Junior controlled expertly on his chest before finishing neatly past Alisson on the half volley. Nat Phillips and Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory for the goal, failing to track the Real Madrid man’s movement and run which resulted in the goal.

Minutes later, Alexander-Arnold was at fault again for the second Real Madrid goal. He attempted to head back to Alisson from a hopeful Real Madrid through ball over the top but instead, he inadvertently passed straight into the path of Marco Asensio who proceeded to calmly chip over the keeper and finish easily into the net. In truth, they deserved nothing less having controlled the game up to that point.

There was a glimmer of hope for Liverpool shortly after the second half kicked-off as Mohamed Salah pulled one back in the 51st minute after a good team move.

That hope was short lived, though. Real Madrid got their third in the 65th minute, Vinicius Junior the goalscorer yet again. Luke Modric provided the assist with a short pass into the feet of the Brazilian who finished into the bottom right corner.

Vinicius Junior and the experienced midfield of Casemiro, Kroos and Modric were too much to handle for Liverpool on the night as they fell to a 3-1 loss.

Dortmund, on the other hand, could perhaps count themselves unlucky not to come away with at least a draw.

The German side started the match well, matching City for possession and even conjuring up a couple of half chances. However, City’s quality showed in the 19th minute as their talisman Kevin De Bruyne found the net after a quick, fluid team move.

In a highly controversial twist, Dortmund were denied what seemed an obvious goal in the 38th minute. Talented teenager Jude Bellingham raced forward and stole the ball from City goalkeeper Ederson’s feet after a heavy touch before tapping into an empty net. The referee, though, had blew the whistle before the ball found its way into the net, indicating Bellingham fouled Ederson in the process. Replays showed that Bellingham got to the ball ahead of Ederson and the former may have actually been fouled rather than the latter. Ederson’s extravagant reaction may have been the deciding factor in disallowing the goal as he immediately fell to the ground in reaction to mask his mistake.

The first half ended 1-0 to Manchester City to the misfortune of Borussia Dortmund.

Erling Haaland – who was quiet for most of the game – had a fantastic opportunity to level the scoreline shortly after the second half commenced as he was played through with a ball over the top. He showed his immense strength as he bullied Ruben Dias onto the ground to open up space for a shot. Haaland though, had unbalanced himself in the process of shoving Dias out of the way and failed to get a proper connection on the ball. Ederson dealt with his shot easily in the end.

Although Haaland would fail to score on the night, he was heavily involved in Dortmund’s equaliser in the 84th minute, as was Jude Bellingham. The latter played a good ball into Haaland’s feet who was occupying a deeper position than usual. He then spotted the run of Marco Reus who was making a run off Kyle Walker’s shoulder and played a pinpoint first time pass into his path. Reus then closed in on goal and made no mistake as he finished past Ederson with aplomb.

City weren’t finished that easily, though. Phil Foden, who missed a handful of good chances throughout the game, scored a late winner after Gundogan provided the lay-off in the 6-yard box.

The match finished 2-1 to Manchester City after a hard-fought contest.

How much money do football players make?

Football is undoubtedly the most popular ball game in the world, and unsurprisingly football players earn among the highest salaries of any profession or athletic endeavor.

No wonder we see them all living the high and fast life in multi-million dollar mansions, expensive cars, and private jets, even playing slots and having fun in exclusive establishments. But how much money do football players make exactly?

Life of a professional athlete is not an easy one

Firstly, how much football players make depends on the agreement details decided between the player and the club. And the Italy, Spain and England teams are among the highest-paying. No surprise since these are in the top leagues and earn the most support from domestic fans, as well as having massive support worldwide. Not to mention they’re the best known in the online betting realm since big clubs attract big money from all industries, not just the sports industry.

Besides that, top players usually earn additional profit from endorsements, appearances, sponsorship agreements and so on. Of course, this differs based on ability, sex, and the club. For example, the base Major League Football (US professional football league) pay is $56,250 per year and the average male player takes home roughly $117,000 yearly, which is really not that much compared to even some lower European leagues. The National Women’s Football League pays its players less than 30% of that. In comparison, a Premier League football player will earn $3.5 million per year.

How Much Do Football Players Make Per Week?

The Premier League (England): £50,000 per week is the average, however there are players like Alexis Sanchez from Man United who take home £350,000 weekly, excluding the £75,000 bonus per match. Or Pogba who earns £290,000 weekly and De Gea who takes £200,000. Naturally, big names earn more not just from their clubs, but also from their sponsors, since more exposure means more money for endorsement companies as well.

The Championship (England): The average take-home in this division is £7,500 – £8,500 per week. The top-tier players in this league earn around £80,000. Salaries drop further in League One where the weekly pay is just £1,700 – £2,500, and £1,300 – 1,500 in League Two.

Serie A (Italy): Cristiano Ronaldo is the top player in the league by far and undoubtedly earns the most with a staggering €565,000 weekly. Ramsey also gets over €400,000. However, other Italy clubs pay much less – just €10-13,000. Serie A used to be among the world’s biggest leagues, although that changed in recent years. Part of the natural cycle, we could say.

La Liga (Spain): Lionel Messi brings home an incredible €655,000 per week with Barcelona and remains one of the best paid athletes in the world. Gareth Bale from Real Madrid gets €400,000 weekly post-tax. However, many other top-tier players earn over €70,000 every week with chief Sergio Ramos getting €200,000.

In reality, many of these athletes have businesses running alongside their sports career, so the money they earn from football is not the only cash they bring home.

Who Are the Favourites for This Year’s Aintree Grand National?

After one year of rest, the world’s most famous horse race is back. The global pandemic replaced the 2020 contest with a virtual run-off where Potters Corner, the winner of the 2019 Welsh Grand National, took home the title by beating 39 CGI representations of horses who would have most likely competed in the 2020 event. However, this year, algorithms are out of fashion as real horses will again get their hooves dirty at Liverpool’s Aintree Racecourse, running for Europe’s richest jump race.

According to this cool infographic on freebetoffers.org.uk, 1 in every 3 bets that is placed is by a female, and it’s not just the guys who like to have a cheeky wager. 

The National is one of the richest races in the world with a purse of £1,000,000 available for the winner and has been a must watch event for families and friends over the world for many years, not just keen racing fans.

According to bookies, this year’s contest will be a close one. Those new to betting on the Grand National should know that the favourite win rate is only 15% and that in the past half a century, the age of the winning horses has always been between nine and twelve years old. Also, the average odds of a winning horse are 20 to 1. Below, we look at who the experts see as this year’s favourites. 

Cloth Cap

Jonjo O’Neill’s Cloth Cap is poised to be one of the shortest-price favourites in history. The gamble on this horse is gaining traction as more bets come in, and April 10 gets closer. It won the Ladbrokes Trophy earlier in the season and dominated the bet365 Premier Chase in March. Thus, in most handicapper’s eyes, it’s the favourite. Unibet is currently offering 4 to 1 odds.

Any Second Now

Ted Walsh’s Any Second Now is also primed for a Grand National bid. The nine-year-old horse owned by JP McManus claimed the 2019 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, but it did not look in excellent shape on March 13 when it landed the Grade 2 Webster Cup. However, Any Second Now is the consensus second-favourite behind Cloth Cap, boasting ten to one and twelve to one odds at most sportsbooks. In trainer Walsh’s opinion, Any Second Now would have won last year’s Grand National if it would have taken place. He believes that the horse’s chances are equally good this time around, as it is coming off a recent career-best performance, and it is going into the race with a decent frame of mind.

Burrows Saint

According to top UK publications such as the Sun, money is pouring in on Burrows Saint. The Willie Mullins trained horse that impressed at the Cheltenham Festival. The eight-year-old equestrian has never participated in the Liverpool race before. Yet, despite its lack of experience, punters believe that it has an equal chance to claim the principal reward as Any Second Now. Thus, many bookmakers have the option available at ten to one odds. Burrows Saint won the 2019 Irish Grand National, and by all accounts, it will be in top form come April 10.

Over 10% of the world population are expected to tune in to the race this weekend. Lets hope its another race to remember.

Aintree release going news for 2021 Grand National meeting

The going at Aintree is now Good to Soft, Good in places across all three courses (Mildmay, Hurdle and Grand National) ahead of this week’s Randox Grand National Festival, which gets underway on Thursday.

 

Watering began at Aintree last week and yesterday saw five millimetres of irrigation applied to Mildmay and Hurdle courses and six millimetres to the Grand National course. Further watering is taking place today.

Aintree’s Clerk of the Course Sulekha Varma said: “We have gone Good to Soft, Good in places on all three courses and are watering again today. The Mildmay and Hurdle courses will receive between three and five millimetres of irrigation, while we will put another six millimetres on the Grand National course.

“At the end of today we will come to a decision about what we are going to do tomorrow. I am sure we will be doing some watering again tomorrow as we aim to begin the Randox Grand National Festival with Good to Soft ground on Thursday.

“I am very pleased with how Aintree is looking. There is fantastic grass cover and walking the Grand National course today it feels pretty much like perfect ground. There are a few areas where a little more watering is needed to make it Good to Soft and then we will be all set.”

The forecast is for chilly conditions, with temperatures dipping below freezing at night and morning grass frosts. Today and tomorrow are expected to be largely dry, with just the slight chance of a snow flurry. Thursday is also predicted to be largely dry, with the chance of a brief shower overnight into Friday (1-3 millimetres of rain). Dry and sunny conditions are forecast for Friday, while cloudier conditions are looking likely for Saturday.

DECLARED RUNNERS FOR THURSDAY – RANDOX LIVERPOOL’S NHS DAY

 

1:45pm Sss Super Alloys Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 2m 3f 200y

1 Eldorado Allen (FR) ts 7 11 4 Colin Tizzard J P Romans & Terry Warner Jonjo O’Neill Jr.

2 Fusil Raffles (FR) 6 11 4 Nicky Henderson Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede Daryl Jacob

3 Hitman (FR) 5 11 4 Paul Nicholls Mason, Hogarth, Ferguson & Done Harry Cobden

4 Phoenix Way (IRE) ts 8 11 4 Harry Fry Mr John P. McManus Aidan Coleman

5 Protektorat (FR) ts 6 11 4 Dan Skelton Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales Harry Skelton

6 The Shunter (IRE) h,ts 8 11 4 Emmet Mullins Ireland Mr P. Byrne Brian Hayes

7 Umbrigado (IRE) ts, p 7 11 4 David Pipe John White & Anne Underhill David Noonan

 

2:20pm Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 209y

1 Adagio (GER) 4 11 0 David Pipe Bryan Drew and Friends / Prof. C.Tisdall Tom Scudamore

2 Carlos Felix (IRE) 4 11 0 Dan Skelton Darren & Annaley Yates Bridget Andrews

3 John Locke 4 11 0 Dan Skelton Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd & Chris Giles Harry Skelton

4 Monmiral (FR) 4 11 0 Paul Nicholls Sir A Ferguson G Mason J Hales & L Hales Harry Cobden

5 Paros (FR) 4 11 0 Nicky Henderson Middleham Park Racing CXXV James Bowen

6 Fiveandtwenty 4 10 7 Donald McCain Middleham Park Racing XCVI Brian Hughes

 

2:50pm Betway Bowl Chase (Grade 1) 3m 210y

1 Aso (FR) p 11 11 7 Venetia Williams The Bellamy Partnership Charlie Deutsch

2 Clan des Obeaux (FR) p 9 11 7 Paul Nicholls Mr&Mrs P.K.Barber,G.Mason,Sir A Ferguson Harry Cobden

3 Clondaw Castle (IRE) 9 11 7 Tom George J French, D McDermott, S Nelson, T Syder Jonathan Burke

4 Militarian 11 11 7 Andrew Martin Mr Andrew J. Martin Mr James Martin

5 Mister Fisher (IRE) 7 11 7 Nicky Henderson James & Jean Potter Ltd Nico de Boinville

6 Native River (IRE) bl 11 11 7 Colin Tizzard Brocade Racing Jonjo O’Neill Jr.

7 Real Steel (FR) ts 8 11 7 Paul Nicholls Mrs Kathy Stuart&Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd Bryony Frost

8 Tiger Roll (IRE) bl,ts 11 11 7 Mrs Denise Foster Ireland Gigginstown House Stud Jack Kennedy

9 Waiting Patiently (IRE) p 10 11 7 Ruth Jefferson Mr Richard Collins Brian Hughes

 

3:25pm Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 4f

1 Abacadabras (FR) ts 7 11 7 Mrs Denise Foster Ireland Gigginstown House Stud Jack Kennedy

2 Ballyandy 10 11 7 Nigel Twiston-Davies Options O Syndicate Sam Twiston-Davies

3 Brewin’upastorm (IRE) ts 8 11 7 Olly Murphy Mrs Barbara Hester Aidan Coleman

4 Buveur d’Air (FR) 10 11 7 Nicky Henderson Mr John P. McManus Nico de Boinville

5 Buzz (FR) 7 11 7 Nicky Henderson Thurloe for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity James Bowen

6 Jason The Militant (IRE) ts 7 11 7 Henry de Bromhead Ireland Mr Peter Michael Rachael Blackmore

7 McFabulous (IRE) 7 11 7 Paul Nicholls Giraffa Racing Harry Cobden

8 Millers Bank 7 11 7 Alex Hales Millers Bank Partnership Kielan Woods

9 Not So Sleepy 9 11 7 Hughie Morrison Lady Blyth Jonathan Burke

10 Silver Streak (IRE) 8 11 7 Evan Williams Mr L. Fell Tom O’Brien

11 Song For Someone (GER) 6 11 7 Tom Symonds Sir Peter & Lady Gibbings David Bass

 

4:05pm Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters’ Chase 2m 5f 19y

1 Billaway (IRE) 9 12 0 W. P. Mullins Ireland Mr J. Turner Mr P. W. Mullins

2 Bishops Road (IRE) p 13 12 0 D. E. Hewins Six Star Racing Mr Edward Austin

3 Captain Cattistock ts, p 8 12 0 Fergal O’Brien Mrs Jane Tufnell Mr Albi Tufnell

4 Cat Tiger (FR) ts 7 12 0 Paul Nicholls David Maxwell Racing Limited Mr David Maxwell

5 Clondaw Westie (IRE) ts, p 10 12 0 Lawney Hill For Fun Partnership Miss Izzie Marshall

6 Cousin Pascal (FR) 9 12 0 J. J. O’Shea Mr P. A. Clifton Mr James King

7 Dashing Perk 10 12 0 Dr Richard Newland Mr Paul Jenkins Mr Sam Waley-Cohen

8 Federici p 12 12 0 Donald McCain Mrs C Strang Steel and Partner Mr Derek O’Connor

9 Golden Tobouggan 10 12 0 Mrs Julie Wadland Mrs Julie Wadland Mr Jack Andrews

10 Greensalt (IRE) ts 13 12 0 W. H. Easterby Mrs S. J. Easterby Mr William Easterby

11 Kashmir Peak (IRE) ts 12 12 0 Alan Hill Mr Daniel Cherriman Mr Daniel Cherriman

12 Killaro Boy (IRE) h 12 12 0 Henry Oliver H & H Partnership Mr Zac Baker

13 Latenightpass 8 12 0 T. Ellis Mrs P. A. Ellis Miss Gina Andrews

14 Looking Well (IRE) p 12 12 0 Nicky Richards Mr David Wesley Yates Mr J. C. Barry

15 Mighty Stowaway (IRE) bl,ts 10 12 0 Mrs Denise Foster Ireland Philip J. Reynolds Mr J. J. Codd

16 More Buck’s (IRE) ts 11 12 0 Mickey Bowen Mr Mickey Bowen Mr Peter Bryan

17 Ravished (IRE) 13 12 0 J. J. O’Shea Mr A. Spender Mr Henry Crow

18 Rewritetherules (IRE) ts 7 12 0 John Joseph Hanlon Ireland Mr D. F. O’Rourke Mr T. Hamilton

19 Risk And Roll (FR) ts 7 12 0 Mrs N. Sheppard Mr and Mrs Ben Herbert and Family Mr Milo Herbert

20 Sametegal (FR) ts, p 12 12 0 Paul Nicholls Mr and Mrs J. D. Cotton Mr William Biddick

21 Some Man (IRE) 8 12 0 D. M. Christie Ireland R. Nicholas Mr Barry O’Neill

22 Tango de Juilley (FR) 13 12 0 Venetia Williams Venetia Williams’ Stable Staff Miss Lucy Turner

23 Ucello Conti (FR) ts, p 13 12 0 Philip Rowley Mr A. R. Bromley Mr Ben Bromley

 

4:40pm Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 1m 7f 176y

1 Getaway Trump (IRE) p 8 11 12 Paul Nicholls Owners Group 023 Harry Cobden

2 Moon Over Germany (IRE) 10 11 11 Henry de Bromhead Ireland Philip J. Reynolds Jordan Gainford (7)

3 Zanza (IRE) 7 11 8 Philip Hobbs Louisville Syndicate Elite Micheal Nolan

4 Jan Maat (GER) p 8 11 4 Henry de Bromhead Ireland Gigginstown House Stud Rachael Blackmore

5 On The Slopes ts 7 11 3 Chris Gordon Skill Scaffolding Ltd Tom Cannon

6 Joke Dancer p 8 11 3 Sue Smith Mrs Aafke Clarke Ryan Mania

7 Dostal Phil (FR) 8 11 2 Philip Hobbs Mr John P. McManus Tom O’Brien

8 Sao (FR) h,ts 7 11 1 Rebecca Menzies Gary Eves and Partner Nathan Moscrop (3)

9 Brelan d’As (FR) 10 11 0 Ben Haslam Mr John P. McManus Alain Cawley

10 Frero Banbou (FR) 6 11 0 Venetia Williams Mr P. Davies Charlie Deutsch

11 Gaelik Coast (FR) 7 10 13 Donald McCain Mr T. G. Leslie Brian Hughes

12 Sully D’oc AA (FR) ts 7 10 13 Anthony Honeyball Mr John P. McManus Richie McLernon

13 Destrier (FR) ts 8 10 13 Dan Skelton Three Celts Harry Skelton

14 Grey Diamond (FR) h 7 10 11 Sam Thomas Walters Plant Hire Ltd Sam Twiston-Davies

15 The King of May (FR) 7 10 10 Brian Ellison Phil & Julie Martin Henry Brooke

16 Editeur du Gite (FR) 7 10 9 Gary Moore The Preston Family, Friends & T Jacobs Joshua Moore

17 Billingsley (IRE) 9 10 6 Alastair Ralph Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Jonathan Burke

18 Ain’t My Fault (IRE) ts, p 8 10 0 Lucinda Russell Foresight Racing Stephen Mulqueen (3)

 

5:15pm Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m 209y

1 Bella Bluesky 5 11 0 Alistair Whillans Mr A. C. Whillans

2 Code Name Lise (IRE) 5 11 0 Lucy Wadham Ms E. L. Banks Bryony Frost

3 Elle Est Belle 5 11 0 Dan Skelton Mrs Suzanne Lawrence Harry Skelton

4 Glimpse of Gala 5 11 0 Charlie Longsdon The Tweed Clad Fossils Sam Twiston-Davies

5 Mansoline (FR) 5 11 0 Christian Williams Mr C. R. P. Williams Gavin Sheehan

6 Me Too Please (IRE) 5 11 0 A. L. T. Moore Ireland Mrs A. L. T. Moore Rachael Blackmore

7 Milans Edge (IRE) 6 11 0 Donald McCain James & Jean Potter Ltd Brian Hughes

8 Mind Sunday (FR) 5 11 0 Nicky Henderson Walters Plant Hire Ltd Nico de Boinville

9 Miss Lamb 5 11 0 Jedd O’Keeffe Miss S. E. Hall Jack Garritty

10 Step To The Top (IRE) 6 11 0 L J Morgan Mr G. C. Wragg Jack Kennedy

11 Swincombe Fleat 5 11 0 Anthony Honeyball Yeo Racing Partnership Sean Bowen

12 Wheres Maud Gone (IRE) ts 5 11 0 L J Morgan Mr Anthony Barney Mr Derek O’Connor

13 Eileendover 4 10 8 Pam Sly Michael H. Sly & Mrs Pam Sly Paul O’Brien

14 Finest View 4 10 8 Alan King Pitchall Stud Partnership Tom Cannon

15 Heartbreaker 4 10 8 Michael Bell Mrs Michael Bell Harry Cobden

16 Tweed Skirt 4 10 8 Nicky Henderson Just Four Men with Rose Tinted Glasses James Bowen

Heineken Champions Cup – quarter-finals previews

Ahead of this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, CLICK HERE for preview information including fixtures, match officials and performance data.

Also, CLICK HERE to access the 2020/21 Heineken Champions Cup Digital Tournament Guide with detailed current and historic information and statistics.

Quarter-finals Stats

• Home clubs have a 76% success rate from the 96 tournament quarter-finals which have been played to date.

• Sunday’s showdown against ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel-Michelin will be Toulouse’s 18th quarter-final appearance and they have never been defeated at this stage of the tournament by another French club.

• The last time Exeter Chiefs and Leinster met was in the 2017/18 pool stage when Leinster won both matches before going on to lift the trophy in Bilbao.

• If selected for the quarter-final matches, Stuart Hogg of defending champions, Exeter Chiefs, and Racing 92’s, Maxime Machenaud, will make their 50th tournament appearances.

• Clermont have played in 10 quarter-finals to date, and of their five defeats, four have been by French clubs – Racing 92 twice, Castres and Toulouse.

• La Rochelle and Sale Sharks, who clash at Stade Marcel Deflandre on Saturday, met twice in last season’s pool stage with the home club winning on each occasion.

• Sale’s one previous quarter-final appearance was in 2006 when they were defeated by Biarritz Olympique.

• Bordeaux-Bègles and Racing 92 will be going head-to-head for the first time in European competition.

• This will be La Rochelle’s first Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final at home. In their one previous appearance in 2018, they lost 29-17 at Parc y Scarlets.

PENTATHLON – Sive Brassil poised for action in Sofia double-header

After a nine-hour drive across Southern Europe, Ireland’s Sive Brassil is aiming to plot a course for Tokyo as she steps up her bid for Olympic qualification over the next fortnight.

Brassil and her Irish team-mate Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe left Budapest after competing at the opening event of the UIPM 2021 Pentathlon World Cup season and drove straight to Sofia for the next two legs of the competition.

Taking place from 7-11 April and 15-18 April, the two competitions in Bulgaria will have a big influence on the outcome of the UIPM Olympic World Ranking, with only two further events to follow before the rescheduled Games this summer.

Brassil, 27, finished 18th in Budapest and now sits 23rd in the Olympic rankings, with a World Cup Final and World Championships still to come after the double-header in Sofia.

In the circumstances, everything has gone largely to plan so far this season for the Galway pentathlete, and a three-strong Irish support team will be on hand in the Bulgarian capital to keep her on track.

The race to qualify for Tokyo is intense, but Brassil is feeling better about her prospects of reaching that coveted first Olympics after her first competition in 13 months.

“We had a long trip to Sofia – we drove straight from the competition in Budapest, through Serbia, for about 9 hours until we reached Sofia,” said Brassil. “It has been great so far, there was a training camp on so I got to do some quality fencing sessions with some of the other nations.

“There were aspects of my competition that I was very pleased with. Unfortunately, the horse riding let me down in the final. Other than that, I had one of my best fencing results and I managed to put together strong back-to-back performances in the swim and Laser Run. It was a solid start with room to improve.

“I think the standard is always high in an Olympic year, so this year is no different. I was quite anxious before the start of the competition but it felt so good to get back into the swing of things.

“This week I’m just looking to continue my form from the first competition and hopefully have a bit more luck with the horses!”

With Natalya Coyle sitting out these two competitions having already qualified for the Olympics, Brassil returns to action tomorrow (11 April) in the women’s qualification round, with Lanigan-O’Keeffe taking part on Thursday (12 April).

Both are intent on reaching the finals and then backing up a good performance with another strong showing next week.

“It is certainly a challenge to have so many competitions in a short space of time, but I know that all the training and hard work is done so it’s about recovering as well as I can in between the competitions,” said Brassil.

“I have great support out here in Sofia with my coaches, Martina McCarthy and Andrey Fedotov, helping me with my training.  We’re also very lucky to have Ciara McCallion as our physio on this trip, keeping us in one piece!”

2021 World University Games Postponed

Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend Student Sport Ireland has received confirmation of the postponement of the 2021 FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China. The International University Sports Federation (FISU), the Federation of University Sport of China (FUSC) and the Organising Committee of Chengdu 2021, announced that the games which had been planned for August 2021, will take place in 2022 with the dates to be released in the coming months.

The decision was reached due to the ongoing global COVID-19 situation and the international travel restrictions in place at present. Many of the elite athletes have been able to train, however it has been very restricted, with a lot of sports facilities on campuses around the world closed for long periods over the past twelve months. Furthermore, the FISU Executive Committee felt the likely improvements in the public health situation over the next year would be such that an event in 2022 would be considerably more likely to offer the formative experience that FISU aims to deliver. This approach is fully aligned with FISU’s goal of positively shaping the leaders of the future through their experience of international university sport.

The decision from FISU, FUSC and the Organising Committee is aiming to protect the safety and health of all people involved including athletes and the citizens. FISU, FUSC and the Organising Committee will continue to promote the preparation and ensure successful FISU Games.

Freewheelin Dylan Lands 2021 BoyleSports Irish Grand National

There was a local winner of the 2021 BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse as the Dermot McLoughlin trained Freewheelin Dylan landed the race in style under a perfect ride from Ricky Doyle.

 

This was a first time success in the race for both trainer and jockey, with Freewheelin Dylan a massive priced winner at 150/1. Doyle told BoyleSports after the race: “I cannot believe it. The outsider of the field. I just couldn’t wait to ride the horse in the race, not caring what chance I had but I knew the spin I would get, and I couldn’t wait for it. It’s unbelievable and to be fair to Dermot, he left it up to me. I had a dream ride the whole way around.”

 

BoyleSports traders have reported it wasn’t as good a result for the book as many would expect with Freewheelan Dylan winning at 150/1 but it was a nail-biting finish with Run Wild Fred at 8/1 trying his best to close the gap. The sponsors paid 7 places in the race with punters getting each-way value for Freewheelin Dylan, Run Wild Fred, Enjoy D’allen, Latest Exhibition, Sempo, Off You Go and Coko Beach.

 

 

Sarah Kinsella, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “It was a good result for local trainer Dermot McLoughlin and jockey Rickey Doyle as they landed the BoyleSports Irish Grand National with Freewheelin Dylan. We had excellent turnover on the race but the winner was perhaps not as good a result as many would think when they see a 150/1 winner. We laid plenty of smaller bets around 66/1 earlier in the day but the guaranteed price meant the winner was paid out at 150/1. We are delighted for the connections and very proud to be sponsors of this iconic race with a lovely story to come out of today’s result.”

16-year-old Evan Ferguson nets brace against Liverpool u23s

The Irish underage international joined Brighton from Bohemians in January. 

Evan Ferguson first came to public attention in the summer of 2019 when he came on as a substitute – and assisted a goal – against Chelsea in a pre-season friendly. He was just 14 years of age at the time.

Months later, still only 14, he made his senior competitive debut for Bohemians in a League of Ireland fixture against Derry City. His appearance that day was subject to much controversy as he became the youngest player to ever appear in a League of Ireland match.

Two years on and Ferguson is now plying his trade for Brighton’s u23s in the PL2. The striker joined Brighton from Bohemians in January for an undisclosed fee, just weeks after winning the u17 Airtricity League.

Since joining, the striker has played 9 games in the PL2, scoring 3 goals in the process.

Yesterday, he scored two goals against a Liverpool u23 side which included Welsh international Ben Woodburn and a number of highly-rated prospects. Unfortunately for Ferguson and Brighton though, Liverpool showed their quality in the end and ran out 3-2 victors.

His first goal demonstrated his anticipation and finishing ability as he latched onto a misplaced back-pass, moved in on goal and struck superbly into the top left-hand corner.

His second goal came after an excellent team move. After a succession of quick passes, the ball found it’s way out to Ayo Tanimowo on the wing who proceeded to cross into the box and find Evan Ferguson who was in the right place at the right time to provide the finish.

Neil Callan and Mighty Giant win The Chairman’s Trophy at Sha Tin

Kildare jockey Neil Callan and Mighty Giant had an all-the-way victory in today’s Group 2 The Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin, Hong Kong.

The Ricky Yiu-trained runner, a market outsider against four opponents, claimed the HK$4.5 million feature race under a daring front-running ride from the forty-two-year-old Irish rider.

Southern Legend was runner-up, with More Than This back in third.

The victory was a third Chairman’s Trophy success for Callan following his previously wins on Beauty Only in 2016 and 2018.

Commenting on today’s win, the Kildare man said:

“It means a lot, everybody knows my situation but all I want to do is keep working hard, keep riding winners here in Hong Kong and the bigger winners, the better.

The New Zealand-bred Power gelding broke evenly from stall two, heading to the front at the 1100m mark. From there, the five-year-old was never headed on his way to a gritty half-length success under a fierce Callan drive.

First win at Pattern level

The win was Mighty Giant’s seventh from 15 starts. It was his first at Pattern level, however. He was previously placed third behind today’s favourite Waikuku in February’s Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).

Explaining his tactics for his 21st winner of the season, Callan said:

“At the corner, I just took a little tug on him. I knew he was going to give me a kick. The kick was his winning move. He just got two lengths on them and maintained it from the 200 metre mark.”

After finishing a distant last, favourite Waikuku was found with blood in his trachea post race. The former John Oxx-trained horse won a Group 1 on his last start. 

On Wednesday, Neil Callan will have the status of his current Hong Kong licence reviewed. He will appear before the Licensing Committee in relation to his conduct during a Stewards’ inquiry last February. 

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