By Niall "Slippers" Madden WE'RE half way through Punchestown Festival 2023 and it has gone like a flash. We must be having fun. There was lots of fun and…
at the festival after also winning on honeysuckle on the opening day of the festival on tuesday. elsewhere it was sire du berlais who came out on top in the featured race of the day the stayers hurdle. mark walsh rode the winner for trainer gordon elliott, while favourite teahupoo was promoted from third to second after a stewards inquiry. away from cheltenham, arsenal s european adventure is over and it ended in heartbreaking style. the premier league leaders were on course to reach the quarterfinals when granit xhaka put them ahead. but sporting equalised with a stunning goal from pedro goncalves not one aaron ramsdale will want to see again. arsenal hit the post, but there would be no winner. so it went to penalties, and sporting came out on top, winning 5 3.
that last european spot is held by brighton whose brilliant season goes on. they beat crystal palace 1 nil solly march with the winner. brighton now only 6 points off the top four. palace still haven t won a match this year, and are only 4 points off the relegation places. now it was wind that got the better of british number one cameron norrie, and helped to end his run, in the tennis, at indian wells one of the most high profile tournaments outside of the grand slams. cameron norrie was a winner here two years ago and was the last british player standing in the singles, but said he didn t handle the windy conditions as well as his opponent frances tiafoe who s ranked four places lower than norrie, but won in straight sets norrie making 28 unforced errors. it could be a big day for another irish trained horse, at the cheltenham festival. flooring porter is aiming to win the stayers hurdle the big race of the day
it could be a big day for another irish trained horse at the cheltenham festival. flooring porter is aiming to win the stayers hurdle the big race of the day for a third year in a row, building on further irish success yesterday which provided, a second success, for enerugmeme in the big race of the day. ridden by paul town end, he eased to victory in the queen mother champion chase, for a second successive year giving irish trainer willie mullins his 92nd festival victory. and while energumene took the headlines in the big race of the day we must give a shout out to 18 year old john gleeson who, on his first ever ride at cheltenham festival, provided the fairytale finish to day two by winning the final race aboard the aptly named a dream to share! there is a lovely link between the young there is a lovely link between the young are there is a lovely link between the young are not so young. because that was his young are not so young. because that was his first young