L’Eau Du Sud bids to create history in Tingle Creek for title leader Skelton

After his Crisp-like capitulation around the Elbow in the last two National Hunt trainers’ championships, Dan Skelton has set off at an even faster pace in this season’s title race and has already amassed more than £1.7m in prize money, nearly £1m ahead of second-placed Olly Murphy.The tally that is likely to matter most in April 2026, of course, will belong to Willie Mullins, who has shown that quality matters more than quantity by winning the last two titles with big hauls at the spring festivals, despite an overall aggregate winner-count of 300-66 in Skelton’s favour.But in that respect too there is encouragement for Skelton, who saddled 20 fewer winners in from May to the end of November than in the 2024-25 campaign, but upped his prize money total by nearly £450,000 year-on-year.It is a step up in terms of quality that may be further underscored at Sandown on Saturday when Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud lines up for the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase against two top-class rivals in Mullins’s Il Etait Temps and Nicky Henderson’s popular and consistent Jonbon, the winner for the past two seasons

Saracens hatch plan to put dent in French dominance against Clermont

Judging by the Saracens side ­starting their Champions Cup campaign against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, a show of strength is the aim. Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Tom Willis and Nick Isiekwe are some of the ­distinguished names who will line up in north ­London aiming to put a small, symbolic dent in the notion that French clubs are poised to dominate the competition again.Even without the rested England captain, Maro Itoje, and back-row Ben Earl – both recently returned from a successful autumn campaign – the quality of the lineup indicates the depth required for a deep tournament run.Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old who shot to prominence in October and was rewarded with an England call-up, makes his European debut: the presence of the 6ft 4in wing, allied to Farrell’s kicking prowess, will be causing some stress among Clermont’s coaching team.Saracens last lifted the trophy in 2019, when they beat Leinster in the final, and Caluori had yet to enter his teens

McLaren will use team orders in quest for F1 world drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi

Zak Brown has said McLaren will use team orders for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri if required to ensure the team secure the Formula One drivers’ championship in the season finale at Abu Dhabi on Sunday.With Red Bull’s Max ­Verstappen trailing Norris by 12 points, the Dutchman still has a shot at taking the title from McLaren’s grasp. Piastri is a further four points back. Having spent all season allowing their drivers to race and attempting to be scrupulously fair to both, Brown announced at the Yas Marina circuit that if circumstances rendered it ­necessary, they would use orders.“Yes, of course

‘We’re all human’: Joe Root defends England over costly dropped catches on day two

Joe Root has insisted that human error rather than poor preparation lay behind a string of dropped catches during a day of toil in the field for ­England. Travis Head, Alex Carey – twice – Josh Inglis and Michael Neser all got lifelines as Australia ended day two of the second Test on 378 for six, a lead of 44.“We worked as hard as we could in the lead-up to this, we had five days of prep and we did a huge amount of catching,” Root said. “We made sure we utilised those two [training] sessions under lights well. You can’t replicate that surface, the bounce, the way the nicks come

Steve Smith on top again after he resumes Ashes rivalry with Jofra Archer | Geoff Lemon

Jofra Archer versus Steve Smith in 2019 is already Ashes folklore. The atmosphere at Lord’s that afternoon was charged in all senses, a huge slab of cloud bringing darkness to the day. Fresh from a match-winning World Cup final, Archer marked his Test debut with what was then the fastest spell recorded for England. Smith was in the middle of a Bradman-hued streak of 774 runs in seven innings. All that could pause him was a short-pitched attack of building ferocity, one that finally dropped Smith with a bouncer to the neck

Wayward England pace attack fumble their golden chance to strike with new ball | Simon Burnton

Jofra Archer’s first ball zinged towards Jake Weatherald and screamed just past the bat. His second arrowed into his pads, knocking him off his feet, and after a review the umpire raised his finger.Forty-five overs later, Australia were all out for not many. But that was Perth, a bowling performance that started with a statement of intent from England’s premier fast bowler and a lead followed by his teammates.Archer’s first ball of this Test pitched outside leg stump and flew harmlessly behind Travis Head