Liam Beglan - page 2

CHELTENHAM National Hunt Festival 2021 commences on Tuesday, 16th March and ends 28 races and four days later on the Friday, when the blue riband of steeplechasing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, takes centre stage. Unfortunately, at the time of writing it appears odds on that pandemic restrictions mean the festival will proceed behind closed doors, no full-throated roar from the packed stands as the horses jostle for position pre-race, no hats and racecards tossed triumphantly in the air as horse and jockey strain every sinew on the tortuous uphill finish to be first to the winning post…sad to relate …yes, but at least the iconic event is going ahead, albeit under heavy restraint.

The festival, the jewel in the crown of the National Hunt season, is once again set to enchant the racing public as, midway through March, it opens up its treasure chest of exciting equine stars to the global sporting spotlight that every spring illuminates the Cotswolds town’s glorious centuries-old salute to the Sport of Kings.

But this year, my beloved festival is under a cloud, accusatory fingers are pointing, the charge being levelled is that last year’s event, attended by crowds totalling north of a quarter of a million over the four days, racing fans from all corners of the British Isles and beyond, had converged cheek to jowl, to make the annual pilgrimage to celebrate the crème de la crème of steeplechasing and, indulged, sated and by then allegedly stricken with the deadly virus, had returned home as Covid-19 super-carriers, unleashing death and desolation on family, friends and neighbours.

That’s the damning verdict tapped out by social media keyboard warriors and an army of self-appointed, ill-qualified rent-a-quote experts – last year’s Cheltenham Festival, one of the most exciting and enjoyable ever, has been condemned as a major contributor to the spread of the deadly disease. Whatever the truth of that charge, it has to be remembered that the global reaction, both medical and political at the time, was one of profound ignorance and utter confusion – Commander-in-Chief Donald trumpeted that the virus was ‘a hoax’ and, in the Ginger Don’s opinion, could be cured just by swigging a couple of glasses of bleach! Thank you for that diagnosis Dr Trump, now please disappear quietly into the sunset.

Alas, it’s not just the pandemic that threatens the festival – Brexit looms large as another dark cloud hovering over the meeting, throwing up miles and kilometres of new bureaucratic red tape, including extra veterinary checks, travel restrictions and prohibitive VAT increases, that calls into question the very participation of the Irish contingent. Cheltenham without the Irish, equine and human, would be akin to a Shakespearean tragedy – a modern day Romeo Without Juliet and must not be allowed to happen. The unintended consequences of divorce from the EU become more apparent daily, an indisputable fact surely, even to the most blinkered Brexiteer, harsh reality replacing fevered fantasy, as Morrison’s empty supermarket shelves and rising prices bear testimony.

Enough of the darkness and doom, come with me as we launch Operation Cotswolds, another shot-in-the-arm attempt in our quest to lift the gloom and hopefully in the process, lighten bookmakers’ satchels. Ever the optimist despite repeated reversals, my cunning roadmap to riches revolves round a modest wager on each of the following five races – my favourite festival five, enough for a Super Yankee. For the uninitiated that’s the name of a combination bet and most definitely not a compliment to the unlamented and lately departed Trump. The alternate name for the bet is a Canadian!

The Arkle  

(Tuesday 16th, 3.10pm CET)

THIS is the race that launches talented juveniles on the trail to greatness, and whilst it would be tilting at windmills to suggest that today’s cast contains a candidate that could be remotely compared to the immortal steed the race commemorates, it has produced stellar winners in the recent past who have gone on to hit the heights, like Altior, Sprinter Sacre and Moscow Flyer. Top of this year’s class come the exciting pair, SHISHKJN, trained in England by Nicky Henderson and Irish raider Energumene, trained by Willie Mullins. Henderson and Mullins have each won the race four times and I’m siding with SHISHKIN to give Hendo outright bragging rights to this event. Current odds are a bit skinny at Evens, but it does look home and hosed.

Champion Hurdle 

(Tuesday 16th, 4,30pm CET)

MY DREAM since boyhood is that one day I would own the winner of my favourite race, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, unlikely to be realised of course, barring Lady Luck changing her habit of a lifetime and for once, smiling rather than scowling on me. The runner in this year’s race I would most like to call my own is defending champion EPATANTE, owned by legendary Irish gambler JP McManus, whose billionaire financial status is a tad dissimilar to mine. No private plane to the racecourse for Liam, just flights of fantasy and a stroll on Shanks’s pony to the pub and Arena in Casemates or to watch the drama unfold on the Big Screen at Ocean Village. The dream this time is that EPATANTE retains her title and repays my ten pounds vote of confidence. Current odds are 3/1.

Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday 17th, 4.30 CET)

THE Queen Mother, the two-mile speed chase involving the fastest jumpers in the world, where fences need to be negotiated at up to 40mph and a mistake could catapult the jockey clean out of the Cotswolds, is the highlight of the second day of the festival. This year’s renewal sees the short-priced favourite Chacun Pour Soi, another graduate from the Mullins academy, travel from County Carlow seemingly with victory already assured. However, I will be looking to dual winner of the race ALTIOR, trained by Henderson, to rediscover his imperious form of a season ago and regain the crown. Current odds are 8/1.

Stayers’ Long Distance Hurdle (Thursday 18th, 4.30 CET)

THE STAYERS’ is one of the most popular races of the festival, mainly because of the numerous times it has been won by the same horse – Big Buck’s won it four times, Inglis Drever was a triple victor, Baracouda and many others were multiple winners. A simple and profitable betting strategy proved to be backing a previous winner to repeat the feat, and it’s one I’ll be following this time around when lumping 2019 winner PAISLEY PARK with my tenner. Current odds are 3/1.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

(Friday 19th, 4.30 CET)

CHAMPION festival trainer Willie Mullins had never won the great race until Al Boum Photo triumphed in 2019, and having retained the Cup last year the classy Al Boum is the pick of many form experts to make it three in a row, replicating a feat that the incomparable Arkle accomplished 55 years ago. However, I’m looking elsewhere for the winner and my tenner each way will be entrusted on last year’s unlucky runner-up SANTINI to avenge that narrow defeat and keep the prize at home. Current odds are 14/1, a must-have each way price, provided trainer Nicky Henderson can get him to the post fit and well and the talented beast cuts out the jumping errors. 14/1 …. what a Friday finale that would be.

See you at The Arena (pandemic permitting) – the cider’s on the bookies. Cheers!

QUALIFICATION for Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals kicks off next month when Gibraltar, drawn in Group G, play host to Norway and Netherlands, those two games sandwiching an away trip to Montenegro, with Turkey and Latvia completing this tough six-team group. Pandemic permitting, the nation that tops the table when qualifying finishes next November will have booked their ticket direct to the finals, with the runners-up advancing to the playoffs for a second chance to join them on the plane to Qatar, the first time the tournament will be staged in the Middle East.

Gibraltar hopes have been buoyed by recent confirmation from UEFA that their home games, in this their second World Cup campaign, can be played at Victoria Stadium, unlike their first foray into the global competition – Russia 2018 – when the Rock were required to play their “home” ties in the vast, almost empty Portuguese Faro stadium, a rather soulless, eerie experience, nothing like the frenzied but friendly atmosphere created at the Vic in previous international and club encounters, notably on nights when Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark and Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers came calling.

Fresh from the Rock’s remarkable achievement of promotion to Division C in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, Julio’s “Gibraltarian Warriors” will not lack for confidence in embarking on this ultra competitive qualification odyssey. In addition to charismatic coach Ribas, who has engendered a special family togetherness in the squad, there is the never-say-die spirit of “Captain Fantastic” Roy Chipolina, the creative quality of midfield dynamo Liam Walker and the goal poaching power of Lee Casciaro, lionhearts the entire squad, all dedicated to achieving the impossible, but, alas, cold reality decrees that qualification for Qatar 2022 will be a dream too far, but hey, there will be fun and maybe even glory nights on the way.

When Gibraltar was warmly welcomed into FIFA’s football family on 13th May, 2016, it wasn’t an event just about opening up world football to the Rock, but also about opening up Gibraltar to the world. Gibraltar is a picture postcard destination with a first class but sadly underused airport, practically every person on earth has heard of the Rock, but not that many have visited, and now international football is providing opportunities for footy fans from all over the globe to put that right, sit in the sun and quaff cider in Casemates Square, hit the casino tables, roll the dice and explore the delights of Ocean Village, while Gib’s footy fans reciprocate by rocking up to exotic destinations, like wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen, tip-toe through the tulips in Amsterdam and spend drunken nights in Dublin.

Gibraltar’s Group G campaign, labelled the Group of Death, commences with a Viking visit from Norway on 24th March and concludes on 16th November, again at Victoria Stadium, when familiar foe Latvia provide the opposition. What a finale that night would be should the impossible have come to pass, with Julio’s boys still having something to play for – most unlikely of course, but it’s nice to dream!

Coronavirus protocols may have relaxed somewhat come the last week of March, the impressive rollout of the vaccine and responsible social distancing may by then have put a check on this ghastly

pandemic, perhaps sufficient for the lockdown to be lifted, Victoria Stadium and the pubs given the green light to reopen, deprived and parched footy fans free once more to quench their thirst and toast their heroes as they rub shoulders with visiting football greats. Who knows, maybe travel restrictions may be lifted in time to join Julio’s army on battlefields abroad!

Let’s take a quick glance at the opposition….

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NETHERLANDS

Population: 17.15m

Capital: Amsterdam, (Parliament and Government based in The Hague). Stadium: Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam (Capacity 55,500)

Fifa World Ranking: 14th

Head Coach: Frank de Boer

Previous Gibraltar encounters: None. 

Match Dates: Gibraltar vs Netherlands – 30th March, KO 20:45 CET / Netherlands vs Gibraltar – 11th        October, KO 20:45 CET

The Netherlands, the nation that brought “total football” to an enchanted world, iconic names over the decades, Van Basten, Cruyff, Kluivert, Neeskens, van Nistelrooy, still elicit goose bumps. No one of that calibre in the current squad, save perhaps captain Virgil van Dijk, but a single point from the Dutch masters would be a huge achievement for Gibraltar.

When in Amsterdam: Three-course dinner for two (no alcohol) will set you back around £70. A small bottle of beer costs £4.50.

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LATVIA

Population: 1.92m

Capital: Riga

Stadium: Daugava Stadium, Riga (Capacity 10,460)

Fifa World Ranking: 136th

Head Coach: Dainis Kazakevics

Previous Gibraltar encounters: Two friendlies, a win apiece – Gibraltar 0-5 Latvia (29th March, 2016); Gibraltar 1-0 Latvia (25th March, 2018).

Match Dates: Latvia vs Gibraltar – 1st September, KO 20:45 CET / Gibraltar vs Latvia – 16th November, KO 20:45 CET

Honours shared in the two previous clashes and Gibraltar will have realistic prospects of gaining points from both these games.

When in Riga: Three-course dinner for two can be had for a reasonable £36, while a bottle of beer is available for just £1.50.

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NORWAY

Population: 5.33m

Capital: Oslo

Stadium: Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo (Capacity 28,000) Fifa World Ranking: 44th

Head Coach: Ståle Solbakken

Previous Gibraltar encounters: No previous meetings. 

Match Dates: Gibraltar vs Norway – 24th March, KO 20:45 CET / Norway vs Gibraltar – 7th September, KO 20:45 CET

Tough opening opponents, a draw would be a great result.

When in Oslo: Expect to pay about £78 for a three-course dinner for two (no alcohol) and a small bottle of beer costs a wince-inducing £7.75.

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MONTENEGRO

Population: 622,157

Capital: Podgorica

Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium (Capacity 15,225).

Fifa World Ranking: 63rd

Head Coach: Miodrag Radulovic

Previous Gibraltar encounters: None.

Match Dates: Montenegro vs Gibraltar – 27th March, KO 15:00 CET / Gibraltar vs Montenegro – 8th October, KO 20:45 CET

The Balkan territory could well prove to be a fruitful points source for Julio’s boys.

When in Podgorica: A three-course dinner for two is a very palatable practical giveaway at £23, especially washed down with a £1.70 bottle of beer.

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TURKEY

Population: 82.3m

Capital: Ankara

Stadium: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul (Capacity 76,760)

Fifa World Ranking: 32nd

Head Coach: Senol Gunes

Previous Gibraltar encounters: No previous meetings.

Match Dates: Gibraltar vs Turkey – 4th September, KO 20:45 CET / Turkey vs Gibraltar – 13th November, KO 18:00 CET

Very tough opponents where any points return would be a huge bonus.

When in Istanbul: Three-course dinner for two is a very reasonable £30 and a bottle of beer can be yours for £2.30.

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2020, the year that gave birth to horror child Covid-19, the nightmare virus-spewing pandemic that has claimed millions of lives worldwide and continues to leave a trail of death and desolation in its wake, has been consigned to history, banished to register in the annals of infamy alongside the birthdates of past apocalyptic disasters, the Plague, Spanish flu and both world wars.

But now there is light at the end of this dark tunnel, and no, it’s not an express train thundering towards us but the dawn of a new year, bringing with it the hope that salvation is at hand, Operation Vaccination has begun and normality may be about to resume. There is now the real prospect that the public’s love affair with sport will soon be rekindled as iconic stadia throughout the world throw open the doors to welcome back fans so cruelly deprived by lockdown and restricted access of pursuing their passion in the desperate year just gone.

Religion was once described by Karl Marx as ‘the opium of the masses’, well Karl old boy, that may have been true in your day, but today, in the west at least, churchgoing is very much in retreat and has long been overtaken by sport as the favoured drug of the masses, and this year the faithful can feverishly indulge their habit, with the sporting calendar of 2021 unveiling a truly breath-taking array of glittering events across all disciplines, including football, boxing, golf, cricket and the rearranged Olympic Games.

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL sees the start of qualification for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and Gibraltar fresh from their astonishing promotion in the Euro Nations League – a phenomenal achievement by charismatic Julio Cesar Ribas’s “Gibraltarian Warriors” that has largely not received the credit it merited – have been drawn in Group G where they can look forward to home and away ties with Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Montenegro and old foe Latvia.

Whilst it’s disappointing that the group does not contain any of the home nations – England, Scotland, Wales and either of the Irelands would have been a huge attraction – the Rock can look forward to fun-filled nights when Norway and Netherlands come calling, on March 24th and 30th respectively, the Vikings and the Dutch football fans, believe me, know how to properly party and Ocean Village will definitely rock that week, reawakening warm memories of great nights like the recent visit of the Republic of Ireland in the Euro qualifiers, and on the club side, Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic, the latter expedition entered football folklore as “The Shock of Gibraltar” when Lincoln Red Imps unforgettably derailed the green and white hoops!

Gibraltar is a picture postcard destination, with a world class but sadly underused international airport that through increasing participation in football is now really being opened up to the world, and while all of mankind have heard of The Rock, not that many have stopped here until now. Long may the visits of discovery continue and the fervent hope is that come March, with the help of the vaccine, freedom of travel will have been restored, the Covid-19 pandemic will be extinguished and the horror of the past year will begin to fade. Hang fire though on binning the face masks, the adornments have transformed many of my acquaintances at the QuarterDeck Tavern into visions a lot easier on the eye than is the norm!

BOXING

HOPES are high that the eagerly awaited contest between the two best heavyweights on the planet, both British, clean-cut Anthony Joshua who hails from Watford and self-styled King of the Gypsies Tyson Fury, the complex Mancunian who constantly courts controversy by publicly endorsing and socialising with notorious Irish and Scottish gangsters.

Eye-watering cash in the region of half a billion pounds have been floated for the clash, with late summer the suggested date, Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 the venue, pandemic permitting. However, should social distancing still be required, money-no-object Saudi Arabia is on standby and very keen to host the mega event. If Riyadh be the chosen site, it will be interesting to see how the Saudi police cope with the Gypsy King’s army of raucous beer-loving fans.

It’s all in the hands of boxing promoters now, a breed that inhabit the same integrity-free zone headed by merchant bankers, football agents and, especially, world leaders – the current dodgy trio of Trump, Boris and Putin being prime examples – but whenever or wherever the extravaganza is staged, it ain’t gonna be cheap for boxing fans!

GOLF

THE 43rd Ryder Cup clash between the United States and Team Europe, postponed from last year due to the pandemic, will now take place at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin on September 24th- 26th, where the Yanks, still smarting from being walloped 17-1/2 – 10-1/2 by the Europeans in Paris in 2018, will be hoping to avenge that rout and, borrowing the puerile slogan of the unlamented ex- Commander-in-Chief Trump, ‘make America great again’! Sadly, Uncle Sam’s boys are favourites in my book to regain the Trophy at what is sure to be a very hostile bear pit atmosphere at Whistling Straits. I do hope I’m proved wrong!

CRICKET

ENGLAND, who have dominated this version of the sport for the past couple of years, will fancy their chances of lifting the T20 World Cup due to be played in India, starting 18th October with the final scheduled for 15th November. Captain Eoin Morgan’s side have been very impressive recently with series victories over South Africa and Australia and confidence is high that this squad can claim the Cup for the second time, with reigning champions West Indies very much in decline, hosts India can emerge as the main threat to the Poms.

TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES

POSTPONED from last year due to the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympic Games will now take place from 23rd July to 8th August. As a kid growing up, I was fascinated every four years by the Olympics, especially the boxing and athletics, but now some of the lustre has been lost with repeated drug scandals tarnishing the great event. The highlight for me this time will be the performance of Dina Asher-Smith, the immensely talented and likeable 25-year-old from Orpington, in the ladies sprints. Gold medals await the delightful Dina!

When historians sit down to put pen to paper to document Sport 2020, the focus will certainly not be to celebrate herculean triumph on the playing field, nor to laud David vs Goliath derring-do or die epics, but, sadly, to chart how the calendar has been cruelly decimated by Covid-19, a fearsome unseen plague that leaves death and desolation in its wake as it continues to rage throughout the globe, with all human beings – every single one of us included – a target, caught clearly in the crosshairs of this terrifying stealthy virus!

Blithely unaware of the horror to come, the year started off in usual fashion, with Darts supplying the first world champion, Scotland’s colourful Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright, becoming the oldest first-time winner of the PDC World Darts Championship when, just three months shy of his 50th birthday, he surprised defending champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final at London’s Ally Pally on new year’s day. Hairdresser Fallon Sherlock caused something of a stir in this beer-bellied alpha-male dominated sport when the  girl from Milton Keynes, not just female but blonde as well, became the most successful member of the gentler sex in history by reaching the third round of the tournament. The ailing BDO version held at the 02 London a fortnight later, saw the emergence of an even more ancient first-time champ, when 58-year-old Wayne Warren beat Jim Williams 7-4 in an all-Welsh final.

Tragedy rocked the world of sport to its core when basketball superstar Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California on January 26th, the 41-year-old legend perishing along with his teenage daughter Gianna and seven others.

In February, no surprise to see Novak Djokovic successfully retain his Australian Men’s Tennis Open title, the super Serb eventually emerging victorious over Austria’s Dominic Thiem after a five-set thriller, while in the Ladies event America once again provided the winner, but on this occasion it was not Queen Serena who reigned supreme, but Sofia Kenin who claimed the prize for the Yanks, the 21-year-old from Florida, via Moscow, fighting back from a set down to floor France’s Garbine Muguruza.

Earlier, the 2020 Super Bowl for once justified the hype, with Kansas City Chiefs ending a 50-year hiatus when they outpointed San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in an all-too-rare entertaining final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. An estimated TV audience north of 100m witnessed the extravaganza, where a 30-second commercial cost an astonishing $5.5m.

So then enters March, yes, roaring in like a lion, but in this desperate year most definitely not departing like a lamb – Covid’s heavy black clouds were hovering, the chatter was of impending lockdown and, sadly, lacking the vision the year 2020 should suggest, I prayed that my beloved Cheltenham National Hunt Festival would be allowed to proceed unimpeded. My prayers were answered, and 278,000 horseracing fans from all over the British Isles and beyond, mingled cheek to jowl, enjoyed four sumptuous days of equestrian excellence, then sated, and infected, some returned home to friends and neighbours, blighting towns and villages and spreading the virus far and wide. It hardly seems important now that Irish wonder trainer Willie Mullins’ Al Boum Photo retained the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Nicky Henderson won the Champion Hurdle with Epatante, owned by legendary punter JP McManus.

Sanity slowly trickled through however and lockdown was eventually decreed – the nation’s favourite race, the Grand National, was cancelled, and later the Derby was run behind closed doors. Epsom’s iconic race was won in runaway fashion by Serpentine at 25/1 and the blue riband  prize crossed the Irish Sea to the stable of eight-time winning trainer Aidan O’Brien in County Tipperary.

The lockdown and later restrictions continue to have a massive impact across all sport – Golf saw the cancellation of The Open and the remaining majors were rearranged to be played behind closed doors, with all three being won by Americans, Colin Morikawa won the USPGA, Bryson DeChambeau the US Open and Dustin Johnson, golf’s number one player by some distance, running away with the Masters. The Ryder Cup between the United States and defending champions Europe has been postponed and rescheduled to September next year.

Rugby union saw England narrowly win the Six Nations Championship, pipping France on points difference, while little Exeter Chiefs stunned the sport when taking Europe’s Heineken Champions Cup, triumphing in a contest containing the continent’s heavyweights, Saracens, Racing Club, Clermont and Irish giants, Leinster and Munster.

Football saw Liverpool eventually crowned Premier League champions for the first time, a prize richly deserved, as the Reds under charismatic coach Jurgen Klopp, played fast, free-flowing football, evocative of the Dalglish and Keegan eras. It may be 30 years since Liverpool last won the league, but judging by the way the Scousers have opened their defence of the championship, they have no intention of relinquishing the title cheaply.

My abiding football memory of 2020, however, is the astonishing achievement of tiny Gibraltar, unbeaten and comfortably topping their group of the UEFA Nations League, victory and a draw over both their opponents, San Marino and Liechtenstein elevating inspiring coach Julio  Cesar Ribas’s “Gibraltarian Warriors” to Group C, where they can look forward to crossing swords with higher class international competitors, and possible opponents could include Turkey, Northern Ireland and Bulgaria. Exciting times await!

On a sombre note, death came calling, claiming stellar sport stars: Motor Racing lost Stirling Moss, Football bade farewell to England and Leeds United legendary duo Jackie Charlton and Norman “Bite Yer Legs” Hunter, while there will be intense competition to be chosen as custodian of the sticks in Team Paradise with the arrival of England master ‘keepers Peter Bonetti and Ray Clemence, along with Northern Ireland’s Harry Gregg, the hero of the Manchester United Munich air disaster. Giants all, on and off the pitch, the world is now a poorer place.

Regular readers will be aware of my agony and ecstasy love affair with the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, a race where, astonishingly, I’ve tipped the winner on more than one occasion, and this year I’m entrusting my tenner with the Alex Ferguson partially owned CLAN DES OBEAUX to succeed once again – sorry Fergie! Get on, and if my flights to the UK and Ireland for the festive season don’t materialise, as now seems likely, I’ll be delighted to meet any of you guys in front of the Big Screen at the Sports Arena in Ocean Village on the day to watch the great race.

Finally, may I warmly wish you all a very Happy Christmas, a prosperous and, above all else, a safe 2021.

And may yet scupper Liverpool’s first Premier League title

CORONAVIRUS currently ravaging the global population, wreaking death and desolation across the cosmos, has claimed its first equine casualty, the world’s favourite and best known horserace bar none, the Grand National, that spectacular steeplechase so beloved of millions has fallen victim to the terrifying Covid-19 plague, the men in suits pulling the plug on the meeting after listening to the advice of the men in white coats that it would be foolhardy to allow a quarter of a million racing enthusiasts to mingle cheek to cheek at the iconic Aintree three-day Festival. A body blow for Merseyside, but worse was to follow with the deadly virus also triggering the suspension of the footy season just as Liverpool, for the first time, were about to be crowned Premier League champions, and are now facing selfish calls from certain clubs, motivated by naked self-interest, that the season be aborted and declared null and void.

So sadly the Aintree Festival, one of my favourite race meetings of the year, is another Corona casualty, further platforms to showcase their talent denied to recent Cheltenham victors seeking more glory, or opportunity for the Prestbury Park vanquished seeking redemption. Alas no Liverpool Ladies Day, always a joyous Friday gathering of the city’s finest females, beauties of all shapes and sizes, uncomplicated, tittering, some tottering, hanging out, eschewing Pimm’s for pints, no Royal Ascot ice maidens here, lovely girls, all determined to have a good time.

But above all, the cruellest blow is that tiny Tiger Roll has been denied the opportunity to rewrite Grand National history by winning the great race three times in a row, the doughty County Meath warrior had been installed as short-priced favourite to emulate mighty Red Rum by completing the National treble in consecutive years, despite being lumbered with top weight by a soulless handicapper who had the discretion, but refused to lighten pony-sized Tiger’s load by what could have proved to be a vital few lbs – a man-made blow to the chances of the history seeker, before the attempt was totally erased by what is also increasingly looking like a man-made intervention, Covid-19, the ghastly virus that is now catastrophically raging out of control across the entire planet.

All is not lost though in Tiger’s quest to rewrite the Grand National history books, his ebullient trainer Gordon Elliott recently stated in a BBC Radio 4 interview that the 2021 renewal will be his stable star’s main objective, and at 11 years, age will be no barrier to the chances of the equine phenomenon achieving the impossible – three Nationals in a row, a feat that proved even beyond the King of Aintree, the legendary “Rummy”. Here’s hoping we all survive the Corona pandemic and are still around to witness and celebrate the great day.

On the football front, calls to have this season’s Premier League campaign voided, abandoned and start again in August as if PL 2019/20 never happened, are wicked and shamefully selfish. Liverpool, currently an astonishing 25 points clear of their nearest pursuer with just nine games left to play, have been a joy to watch all season, their brand of football exhilarating, evoking memories of the golden Dalglish era, and to deny the Reds their first title since the abolition of the old First Division must not be permitted to happen.

Whilst calls to start afresh next August are deplorable but somewhat understandable from clubs fearing relegation and being shown the red card that bars entry to the bottomless PL treasure chest, it is comments from media celebrities like Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan, nurturing his insatiable quest to court controversy and keep his bloated ego firmly in the public eye, that cause intense irritation. “Motormouth” Morgan, an Arsenal fan like me, declared that although it’s tough on Liverpool, the season should be abandoned as though it never happened, and kick off a new campaign in August! No Piers, No, Premier League 2019/20 must be completed and the Reds afforded the opportunity to secure the few points needed to ensure that the championship crown ends up where it so rightly belongs – the Trophy Cabinet at Anfield.

Unlimited feast of free wine, beer and soft drinks while watching the boys on the baize is the tantalising prospect for World Pool Masters premium ticketholders at the Europa Sports Complex this month!

Gibraltar’s ever-increasing participation in global sport takes another giant step forward this month when the nation once again stages the World Pool Masters, a leading tournament featuring the sport’s elite players, household names from many lands coming together at the new state-of-the-art Europa Sports Complex, all eager to hustle their way to stardom, each one chasing the same impossible dream of donning the Mosconi mantle of greatness, all eager to emulate legendary Willie Mosconi, the 15-time world pool champion and the greatest ever exponent of the game, whose exploits on the table meant the game’s popularity rapidly grew throughout the sixties and seventies in the saloons and gaming halls of the United States and far beyond, giving birth to modern-day showdowns like this month’s “Shootout on the Rock”.

Four action-filled days, from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th March, will see 24 of the world’s top cuemasters congregate in pursuit of the first prize of 25,000 dollars from the tournament’s total prize fund of $100k – apologies for expressing the prize money in greenbacks, but ever since the looming spectre of Brexit hoved on to the horizon and sadly has now become a reality, administrators of major global sports, like football, golf and tennis have spooked at the possibility of currency collapse, have ditched the pound, preferring the perceived safety of Uncle Sam bucks – the centuries old maxim Sound As A Pound would now, alas, appear to hold sway no more in financial circles.

Sponsors will be hoping for a repeat of the excitement of last year’s epic final when Spain’s David Alcaide emerged as champion, pipping Greece’s Alexander Kazakis 10-9 in a thrilling decider,  clinching victory with an awesome table-length double pot, a spectacular shot that brought the crowd to their feet and the Masters’ title to the Spaniard for the second time.

Alcaide is back this year to defend his crown and will be joined by the sport’s finest from all over the world, a stellar cast including Russia’s European champion Feydor Gorst,  United States Open champion Joshua Filler from Germany and two-time tournament winner Shane van Boening, an American who seems to have been a staple of the sport forever. The lineup contains a great global mix featuring contestants from China, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Britain is represented by tough as teak Glaswegian, 31-year-old Jayson “Eagle Eye” Shaw who has been playing pool from when he was a tiny tot of five years and who relishes the prospect of winning his first Masters to go with the multiple honours won in a long outstanding career.

Gibraltar, shorn of the shackles imposed by  a recalcitrant and belligerent neighbour that had for decades vetoed admission to major sporting bodies such as UEFA and FIFA, is now revelling in its new found role of hosting global sporting events – football has seen The Rock welcome international hotshots Denmark, Switzerland and Ireland, while at club level both Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers have come calling, with darts, snooker, chess and last year’s acclaimed Island Games putting this tiny nation under the world spotlight – and now this picture-postcard location will add the prestigious World Pool Masters 2020 to its burgeoning portfolio.

While glancing at the media release advertising the event, my eye was drawn immediately to the line that jumped up off the page right at me, the promise of ‘unlimited free beer and wine’ to premium ticketholders – what….? Yes, it’s true, make merry and watch the World Pool Masters with as much Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and pints of bitter you can ship on board, and don’t worry if the little woman decides to tag along, there’s plenty of the soft stuff to keep her happy. I can’t wait.

BUT SYDNEY ALL SET TO RULE THE ROOST

Super League champions St Helen’s welcome NRL victors Sydney Roosters to their wonderfully named Totally Wicked Stadium for the 2020 World Club Challenge, the third time these two teams have met in the tournament, both previous games ending in triumph for the Aussies, 25-2 in the inaugural Challenge in 1976 and a bruising 38-0 pasting for the Saints in 2003. Reigning world champs Roosters, who boast a 100 percent record in the competition, will be attempting to do the double over Lancashire opposition, having walloped Wigan 20-8 in the Warriors’ own back yard at the DW Stadium last year.

Saints were awesome in Super League in 2019 going through the entire season without losing a single home game, summarily putting deadly foes Wigan Warriors to the sword in the semi-final before outclassing Salford Red Devils in the Grand Final. Now, current holders and unbeaten World Club representatives, the cocky Sydney Roosters come crowing, anxious to heap more humiliation on the best that Britain can offer – it’s an unpalatable fact and one that needs urgent redress that the Aussies have won six of the last seven WCC finals, despite all of the losses being played at gravy-slurping northern venues.

Stung by criticism from my friends up North that I never write about rugby league and that I’m obsessed solely with the union version practised south of Watford Gap, I respond immediately, ‘Rugby league, you mean the illegal variety of doubtful parentage played in Wigan, Widnes, Bradford and other such far flung arctic  places? The Ringaringarosie type, the gimme the ball and chase me, catch me six times and I’ll give you the ball back and we’ll do it all over again, game? Are you unhinged, surely you are not confusing this girls’ game of tag with the noble pursuit of Rugby Union – Rugby, the public school that gave birth to the great game and Union, the athletic mix of chess-inspired strategy combined with violent but iron-disciplined hand-to-hand combat.

For pity’s sake man, just look at the respective scrums, Union – a colossal collision of such ferocity that on occasion reverberation registers on the Richter scale, two packs weighing a combined total approaching 2000kgs locking horns to go at each other, no quarter asked, not an inch conceded, deep craters gouged on the pitch, clouds of steam streaming skywards, no doubt contributing to global warming, while the powder-puff League version resembles more a Morris dance round-the-maypole routine, though possibly less energetic, than gladiators engaged in epic endeavour.

And as for handing over the ball to the opposition after six failed attempts to score… pardon? Possession is ten-tenths of the rugby union law, protect the ball at all costs, even if it means sticking it up your jersey and trundling over the line as sometimes happened in the good old decades pre-VAR days when I played, and referees tended to be a bit ancient and short-sighted!

Yes Wazza, Dazza, Andy and Martin, you’re right, I hold my hands up and admit to a slight preference for the union game, but this World Club Challenge is about much more than that, it’s about recapturing pride in your sport – Dame Edna Everage’s ‘Roos are making a habit of jetting over to the Pennines and kicking ass, with impunity it seems to me and it’s way past time the Northern boys called a halt to this ignominy. How to do it? Take a tip from this rugby union fan – once upon a time the Wallabies whipped the Home Nations sides, but no more, the worm has turned and after regular routs by the English, Welsh, Irish and even the Jocks, the wild colonial boys are often sent back to the Penal Isle, chastened, deflated and defeated.

So new coach Kristian Woolf, go the union route, banish the fear, loose the chains, unleash the dogs of war – Coote, Makinson, Naiqama, Lomax are all capable of some overdue Rooster neck-wringing – it’s time to put the record straight! This is one dyed-in-the-wool rugby union fanatic who will be watching with interest!

World Club Challenge – St Helen’s vs Sydney Roosters (Sat 22nd Feb, KO 8.45pm CET)

TV Coverage – Sky Sports.