Haiti Couleurs victorious in Welsh Grand National: racing from Chepstow and Kempton – as it happened

Haiti Couleurs was the toast of Chepstow after producing a magnificent front-running display to add the Coral Welsh Grand National to the Irish equivalent he won earlier in the year.Trained by Rebecca Curtis, the 5-1 chance was fittingly ridden by another home native in champion jockey Sean Bowen, who was picking up a welcome consolation just 24 hours after being agonisingly denied in the King George VI Chaseat Kempton aboard Banbridge.It was also a win that served a reminder of the Cheltenham Festival winner’s class, having disappointed in the Betfair Chase last month, but there is no doubt about his star quality now after shouldering 11st 13lb to a thoroughly impressive three-length success over Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith’s recent Sandown scorer O’Connell.Bowen told Sky Sports Racing: “What a racehorse and what a training performance to get him back from Haydock. That was just over a month ago and to get him back is just incredible

Naoya Inoue sees off Picasso to set up Tokyo super-fight with Junto Nakatani

Naoya Inoue moved a step closer to the biggest bout in Japanese boxing history after outclassing Alan Picasso by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday, retaining his undisputed super-bantamweight titles and clearing the runway for a long-anticipated showdown with countryman Junto Nakatani.Inoue, widely regarded as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world alongside Oleksandr Usyk and the recently retired Terence Crawford, was in control from the opening bell at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, neutralizing the previously unbeaten Mexican challenger with precision, speed and sustained pressure over 12 rounds. The judges scored the contest 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 in favor of the 32-year-old champion.The victory marked Inoue’s sixth successful defense of his undisputed crown at 122lb and improved his record to 32-0 with 27 knockouts. While the finish never came, the result was rarely in doubt, even as Picasso showed durability and defiance to hear the final bell

The ascendant San Antonio Spurs are the gift the NBA needed

I’ve seen enough: Give the San Antonio Spurs the keys to Santa Claus’ workshop. Put Stephon Castle in charge of toy assembly. Let De’Aaron Fox toss presents into chimneys, from whatever range he’d like. Devin Vassell can customize the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the army of elves covered

England’s MCG triumph is a genuine coup – and a picture of what might have been | Barney Ronay

Na-na na-na na-na na na na, Duckett’s on the piss. On the piss. Duckett’s on the piss.Don’t take me home, please don’t take me home. And while we’re here, stand up, stand up, please do stand up if you love a two-day Test on a pitch as green and ridged as an under-ripe roasting potato

‘Finally we’ve won one’: Stokes delighted by Ashes Test win but pitch was ‘not ideal’

Ben Stokes shared a hug with Joe Root and spoke of an “awesome feeling” after watching his England side claw back some respectability on this failed Ashes tour with a rollercoaster two-day victory on Saturday.Of the England squad, none had felt the pain of an 18-match winless streak more than the captain and his predecessor. Stokes had played in 13 Tests here without tasting a victory, while for Root the number was 17. With both men aged 34, this tour may well have been their last chance.“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Stokes, his side having chased down 175 on a bowler-friendly surface that had produced 36 wickets in six sessions

Boxing Day Test serves up too much of a good thing even in the season of excess | Geoff Lemon

Was that fun? Was that … good? Certainly a lot happened in the Boxing Day Test. Those who paid their money saw action. But generally the cricketing public wants wickets and runs in vague equilibrium, not the odd run dribbling out of a hole in the dismissal vortex.Even the season of excess can have too much of a good thing. This wasn’t just overloading on Christmas dinner, it was saddling up for the festive meal at an all-you-can-eat sushi train with the conveyor belt turned up to five times normal speed