SCHOOL EDITION 24 APRIL 2024 - Flipbook - Page 26
SPORT
24
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24 2024
Cazoo World Snooker Championship
Hossein is second best to
Trump at ‘smelly’ Crucible
MARK STANIFORTH
H
ossein Vafaei strongly criticised the conditions at
the Crucible after crashing
out of the World Snooker
Championship in a 10-5 defeat by former champion Judd Trump.
The Iranian described the famous Shefeld venue as “smelly”,
compared its practice facilities to
“like playing in a garage”, and questioned the treatment of players in the
course of the marathon 17-day event.
“Everything’s so bad - if you ask
me if I want to come back here, I
would tell you no way,” said Vafaei,
who is no stranger to Crucible controversy after playing a rash breakoff shot in his defeat by Ronnie O’Sullivan last year.
“Forget the history, you want to
go somewhere really nice as a player. You walk round the Crucible and
it smells really bad. You go to other
countries, and everything is shiny.
But here it’s completely different.
“The practice room – do you see
anything special? I feel like I’m practising in a garage.”
Speculation over the future of
the Crucible, which has staged the
tournament since 1977, has been
Judd Trump beat an unhappy Hossein Vafaei to reach round two
heightened since world number
one Ronnie O’Sullivan suggested it
should be moved to Saudi Arabia or
China when the existing deal expires
in 2027.
Vafaei, who made his debut in
2022, is clearly no fan and continued:
“Look at the China venues, how fantastic they treat the players, a red
carpet and an opening ceremony.
PICTURE: PA
The players are treated like stars.
But here no one looks after the players, before and after the match no
one cares who you are.
“If they don’t want to lose the
Crucible invest some money, make it
shinier, make it nicer, make it more
luxury for the people. If they make it
cleaner and nicer, people will enjoy
it.”
Trump turned a 6-3 overnight advantage into a comfortable win over
his opponent, who cut a frustrated
gure after failing to take a series of
chances to reach the midway point
with more of a chance against the
2019 champion.
Trump was not even required to
summon a half-century in a low-key
second session, and was more than
happy to ease though a potentially
tricky assignment and seal his place
in the last 16 against either Tom Ford
or Ricky Walden.
“I got the job done in that rst
session,” shrugged Trump. “I knew it
was going to be a bit demoralising for
him to be 6-3 down after that performance, so today was about getting a
few frames early on and knocking the
belief out of him.
“Coming into this event I was a
lot more condent than I have been
in the last three or four years. It’s
nice to know I’m into the second
round and I’ve got a few days off so I
can sit back and watch other people
sweat.”
It was a different matter for fourtime champion Mark Selby, who is on
the brink of falling at the rst hurdle
after losing his rst session 7-3 to
debutant Joe O’Connor.
Selby, who questioned his future
in the sport after losing to Gary Wil-
ROUND ONE
(all games best of 19 frames)
Results
l Jak Jones (Wal)
bt Zhang Anda (Chi) 10-4
l David Gilbert (Eng)
bt Luca Brecel (Bel) 10-9
l Judd Trump (Eng)
bt Hossein Vafaei (Irn) 10-5
Latest
l Joe O’Connor (Eng)
leads Mark Selby (Eng) 7-2
l Shaun Murphy (Eng)
leads Lyu Haotian (Chi) 6-3
l Ali Carter (Eng) level with Stephen
Maguire (Sco) 5-5 (finishing last night)
l Tom Ford (Eng) leads Rickey Walden
(Eng) 7-5 (finishing last night)
TODAY
10am Murphy v Haotian (to finish);
Gary Wilson (Eng) v Stuart Bingham (Eng)
2.30pm Selby v O’Connor (to finish);
Mark Williams (Wal) v Si Jiahui (Chi)
7pm Wilson v Bingham (to finish);
Robert Milkins (Eng) v Pang Junxu (Chi)
son in the Tour Championship earlier
this month, was second best against
his Leicester rival, who reeled off ve
frames in a row to leave himself in a
commanding position ahead of Monday’s resumption.
Eleventh seed Zhang Anda followed defending champion Luca Brecel out of the tournament as he was
hammered 10-4 by last year’s surprise quarter-nalist Jak Jones.
Resuming 5-2 in front after their
abridged opening session on Saturday, Jones chiselled his way over
the line with a top break of 60, while
Zhang’s 95 in the 13th frame proved
much too little, too late.
Shaun Murphy fashioned a 6-3
lead over China’s Lyu Haotian despite a dreadful missed black in the
fth frame that briey inspired his
opponent to claw back a 3-1 decit
and level at 3-3.
SCOREBOARD
HORSERACING
CURRAGH
Going: Soft to heavy
1.50 (5f, £11,478): 1, MIDNIGHT
STRIKE (D McMonagle) 15-2; 2,
Treasure Isle 5-4 fav; 3, Passing
Phase 6-1. 6 ran. 2l; 2l. (J P O’Brien).
Tote: win £8.70; pl £2.70, £1.20.
Exacta: £23.00. Trifecta: £73.40. CSF:
£17.71.
2.25
(6f,
£10,435):
1,
COWARDOFTHECOUNTY
(D
McMonagle) 17-2; 2, Whistlejacket
evens fav; 3, Mount Parnassus 4-1.
11 ran. 21/2l; 61/2l. (J P O’Brien). Tote:
win £10.60; pl £2.50, £1.10, £1.80.
Exacta: £25.30. Trifecta: £119.10.
CSF: £17.19.
2.55 (6f, £10,435): 1, FOLLOW ME (S
Foley) 22-1; 2, Eclipse Emerald 7-4
fav; 3, Kortez Bay 6-1. 14 ran. 1/2l;
11/2l. (R O’Sullivan). Tote: win £24.10;
pl £3.90, £1.40, £1.70. Exacta: £97.30.
Trifecta: £759.90. CSF: £61.89. Nonrunner: Anyothername.
3.30 (7f, £10,435 Hcap): 1, ZEPHRON
(M W Hassett) 13-2; 2, El Bello 28-1;
3, God Knows 10-1; 4, Sea Eagle
33-1. Also: 4-1 fav Chicago Storm. 21
ran. 1/2l; 3/4l; 1/2l. (D Cullen). Tote: win
£7.50; pl £1.90, £5.60, £3.00, £8.40.
Exacta: £269.70. Tricast: £1899.36.
Trifecta: Not won. CSF: £195.41.
4.00 (7f, £22,174): 1, YOSEMITE
VALLEY (G M Ryan) 3-1; 2, Jumbly
7-4 fav; 3, Mutasarref 7-1. 6 ran. 23/4l;
11/4l. (Donnacha O’Brien). Tote: win
£4.00; pl £1.70, £1.30. Exacta: £9.10.
Trifecta: £25.80. CSF: £8.37.
4.30 (5f, £10,435 Hcap): 1, MAGICAL
VISION (C D Hayes) 10-3; 2, Two
Stars 15-8 fav; 3, Laugh A Minute
7-1. 12 ran. 11/4l; 11/2l. (A A Howard).
Tote: win £4.34; pl £1.20, £1.10,
£2.10. Exacta: £11.40. Tricast: £41.82.
Trifecta: £48.60. CSF: £9.52.
5.00 (6f, £10,435 Hcap): 1,
REDSHORE CITY (W M Lordan) 9-1;
2, Pinar Del Rio 11-1; 3, Un Bacio
Ancora 18-1; 4, Layoftheland 100-1.
Also: 16-5 fav Dark Viper. 27 ran. shd;
nk; nk. (N Lupini). Tote: win £13.80; pl
£3.60, £4.90, £5.30, £40.60. Exacta:
£206.70. Tricast: £1848.76. Trifecta:
Not won. CSF: £107.89. Non-runner:
Beaumadier.
PLACEPOT: Dividend: £31.70
MUSSELBURGH
Going: Straight: good to soft-good
in places; round: good
3.45 (5f, £10,360 Hcap): 1, AMERICAN
AFFAIR (P Mulrennan) 4-1 jtfav; 2,
Paddy’s Day 14-1; 3, Classy Al 18-1.
Also: 4-1 jtfav Whisky McGonagall.
12 ran. 21/2l; nk. (J Goldie). Tote: win
£5.00; pl £1.60, £4.00, £6.00. Exacta:
£69.60. Tricast: £919.29. Trifecta:
£1950.90. CSF: £63.27. Non-runners:
Buraback, Rodborough.
4.15 (5f, £15,462): 1, BARRAK
(T Eaves) 5-1; 2, Station X 10-1;
3, Do It Now 10-3. Also: 11-8 fav
Anthropologist. 5 ran. 3/4l; 1/2l. (K
Ryan). Tote: win £6.00; pl £2.40, £4.00.
Exacta: £42.90. Trifecta: £128.80.
CSF: £43.32. Non-runner: Teej A.
4.45 (1m, £10,360 Hcap): 1, KELPIE
GREY (S Osborne) 16-1; 2, Pallas
Lord 11-1; 3, Bell Shot 9-2 fav. 14
ran. 13/4l; 1/2l. (J Goldie). Tote: win
£17.00; pl £4.50, £3.10, £2.00. Exacta:
£236.90. Tricast: £958.21. Trifecta:
£1285.00. CSF: £171.84.
5.15 (1m 4f 104yds, £12,885 Hcap):
1, DESTINADO (A Keeley) 14-1; 2,
Simple Star 14-1; 3, Plus Point 4-1
fav. 13 ran. nk; 11/2l. (James Owen).
Tote: win £15.60; pl £4.40, £3.70,
£2.10. Exacta: £142.50. Tricast:
£939.13. Trifecta: £1182.90. CSF:
£195.76. Non-runner: Green Team.
5.45 (1m, £15,462 Hcap): 1, ICE MAX
(C Lee) 15-8; 2, Individualism 13-8
fav; 3, Johnny Ringo 9-1. 8 ran. 51/2l;
23/4l. (K R Burke). Tote: win £2.88; pl
£1.10, £1.10, £2.40. Exacta: £5.30.
Tricast: £18.10. Trifecta: £27.30. CSF:
£4.93. Non-runner: Cerulean Bay.
6.15 (7f, £12,885 Hcap): 1, LIAMARTY
DREAMS (C Lee) 7-2 fav; 2, Street
Kid 13-2; 3, On A Session 10-1. 11
ran. 13/4l; hd. (K R Burke). Tote: win
£4.50; pl £1.60, £2.30, £2.80. Exacta:
£22.30. Tricast: £211.17. Trifecta:
£326.80. CSF: £26.64. Non-runner:
Conservationist.
6.45 (5f, £38,655 Hcap): 1, EQUALITY
(S Osborne) 10-3 fav; 2, Arecibo 20-1;
3, Glorious Angel 9-1. 15 ran. hd;
13/4l. (C Hills). Tote: win £4.34; pl
£3.20, £1.80, £5.60. Exacta: £82.20.
Tricast: £588.75. Trifecta: £691.10.
CSF: £77.82. Non-runners: Badri,
Desperate Hero.
PLACEPOT: Dividend: £345.00
STRATFORD
Going: Good to soft-good in places
1.10 (2m, £4,357, Hurdle): 1,
VILLAINESS (H Bannister) 11-8 fav;
2, Hard As Nails 5-2; 3, Bellbird
15-2. 12 ran. 11/2l; shd. (R Bandey).
Tote: win £2.38; pl £1.10, £1.20, £2.00.
Exacta: £6.20. Trifecta: £25.30. CSF:
£5.04. Non-runners: Don’t Cheddar
Tear, Mountain Lake.
1.40 (3m 2f, £3,512, Hcap Hurdle):
1, R BERNARD (Tabitha Worsley)
7-2 jtfav; 2, Prince De Juilley 33-1;
3, Mac’s Legacy 4-1. Also: 7-2 jtfav
Johns Dream. 13 ran. 81/2l; 4l. (Mrs
M Rowley). Tote: win £4.50; pl £1.80,
£7.40, £1.90. Exacta: £133.10. Tricast:
£495.71. Trifecta: £650.30. CSF:
£114.09. Non-runners: Ginderella,
Twp Stori.
2.15 (2m, £4,568, Hcap Hurdle):
1, FINEST VIEW (T Cannon)
5-2 fav; 2, Mighty Moth 10-3; 3,
Obsessedwithyou 6-1. 6 ran. 3/4l;
nk. (A King). Tote: win £3.50; pl
£1.80, £1.90. Exacta: £12.40. Trifecta:
£46.40. CSF: £11.31.
2.48 (3m 3f 119yds, £3,776, Hcap
Chase): 1, FAST DEAL (A King)
150-1; 2, Ballyrashane 9-4; 3,
Lightonthewing 8-1. Also: 2-1
fav Hilltown. 10 ran. 3l; 11/2l. (M
Chapman). Tote: win £166.90; pl
£27.10, £1.30, £2.20. Exacta: £488.70.
Tricast: £3196.20. Trifecta: Not won.
CSF: £499.84. Non-runners: River
Tyne, Unblinking, Williamdeconqueror.
3.23 (2m 3f, £3,512, Hcap Hurdle):
1, GARITSA BAY (C J Todd) 9-1; 2,
Deerstalker 9-1; 3, Largy Force 11-2.
Also: 10-11 fav Avada Kedavra. 12 ran.
hd; 41/2l. (I Williams). Tote: win £11.40;
pl £2.60, £2.50, £1.70. Exacta: £83.10.
Tricast: £492.97. Trifecta: £481.50.
CSF: £81.47.
3.55 (2m 3f, £3,512, Hcap Hurdle):
1, TELEFENNEY (Toby Wynne)
14-1; 2, Finn Lough 13-8 fav; 3, A
Tickatickatiming 5-2. 8 ran. 3l; 91/2l.
(O Greenall & J Guerriero). Tote: win
£15.00; pl £2.80, £1.10, £1.20. Exacta:
£25.30. Tricast: £79.75. Trifecta:
£118.50. CSF: £38.84. Non-runners:
Minella Majestic, Trevor’s Lad, Victory
Club.
4.25 (2m 7f, £2,361, Chase): 1, DEISE
ABA (Mr Z Baker) 6-4 fav; 2, What A
Glance 9-2; 3, Solomon Grey 5-2. 6
ran. 3l; 5l. (Francesca Poste). Tote: win
£2.50; pl £1.30, £2.30. Exacta: £7.00.
Trifecta: £17.80. CSF: £9.02. Nonrunner: Earl Of Desmond.
PLACEPOT: Dividend: £74.30
TRAMORE
Going: Hurdle: yielding; chase:
good-yielding in places
2.05 (2m 1f, £5,478, Hurdle): 1,
BARRIER (J W Kennedy) 3-10 fav; 2,
Malbay Madness 7-2; 3, Grann’s Boy
16-1. 13 ran. 21/4l; 11/2l. (G Elliott).
Tote: win £1.30; pl £1.10, £1.20, £2.40.
Exacta: £2.40. Trifecta: £9.60. CSF:
£1.76. Non-runners: Alright George,
Kartel And Co, Kilcrea Castle.
2.40 (2m 1f, £7,826, Hurdle): 1,
GAILLIMH A RUN (A P Heskin)
11-8 fav; 2, Pampar Lady 3-1; 3,
Russellsbelle 18-1. 15 ran. 1/2l; 3/4l.
(J Queally). Tote: win £2.38; pl £1.40,
£1.20, £3.40. Exacta: £7.80. Trifecta:
£48.50. CSF: £5.43. Non-runners:
Grooveykindoflove, Tina Meehan.
3.15 (2m 5f, £5,739, Hurdle): 1,
ROXHILL ROISE (D Gilligan) 7-1;
2, Prince Palace 5-2; 3, Crooked
Tannie 2-1 fav. 10 ran. 1/2l; 31/4l. (D
M O’Brien). Tote: win £8.10; pl £1.60,
£1.10, £1.30. Exacta: £29.10. Trifecta:
£130.30. CSF: £25.30.
3.50 (2m 5f, £6,000, Hcap Hurdle): 1,
NATURAL BREEZE (C Owens) 15-2;
2, West Away 11-2; 3, Rebel Rose
8-1. Also: 5-1 fav Epson Du Houx. 11
ran. 31/4l; 1/2l. (P J Rothwell). Tote: win
£8.50; pl £2.70, £2.60, £1.80. Exacta:
£50.10. Tricast: £348.92. Trifecta:
£125.50. CSF: £51.03. Non-runners:
Farmix, Onlyamatteroftime.
4.20 (2m 6f, £7,826, Hcap Chase):
1, ROCHESTOWN (D J O’Keeffe)
10-3 jtfav; 2, Invictus Machin 14-1;
3, Sweet Will 5-1. Also: 10-3 jtfav
Brucejack. 9 ran. 2l; shd. (Brendan
Walsh). Tote: win £4.90; pl £1.60,
£3.30, £1.90. Exacta: £59.90. Tricast:
£235.47. Trifecta: £332.30. CSF:
£47.75. Non-runners: Dundaniel,
Gateau De Miel.
4.50 (1m 7f 110yds, £5,478, Hcap
Chase): 1, PRINCE OF AIR (S D
Torrens) 10-1; 2, Mahlers Cove 3-1
fav; 3, Erigmoor 10-3. 13 ran. 11/4l;
11/2l. (P J Rothwell). Tote: win £12.80;
pl £3.30, £1.30, £1.60. Exacta: £71.10.
Tricast: £128.29. Trifecta: £210.60.
CSF: £41.82.
5.20 (1m 7f 110yds, £7,826, Chase):
1, GUA DU LARGE (Rachael
Blackmore) 5-2; 2, Dutch Schultz
2-1 fav; 3, Doyen Ta Win 9-2. 4 ran.
3
/4l; 7l. (H De Bromhead). Tote: win
£3.50; Exacta: £7.90. Trifecta: £8.70.
CSF: £7.91.
PLACEPOT: Dividend: £11.90
WINCANTON
Going: Good-good to firm in places
1.22 (2m 4f, £3,849, Hcap Hurdle):
1, PADDY DE POLE (Bdr Jody Sole)
evens fav; 2, Kentford Mallard 28-1;
3, Jubilee Gold 15-2. 10 ran. 1l;
1
/2l. (P Nicholls). Tote: win £2.00; pl
£1.10, £5.80, £2.10. Exacta: £30.40.
Tricast: £153.66. Trifecta: £232.00.
CSF: £35.68.
1.57 (2m 5f, £7,846, Hcap Hurdle): 1,
SABRINA (F Gingell) 16-1; 2, Irish
Hill 13-8 fav; 3, Katate Dori 5-1. 11
ran. 41/4l; 31/2l. (P Nicholls). Tote: win
£17.60; pl £2.90, £1.30, £2.00. Exacta:
£23.10. Tricast: £158.31. Trifecta:
£321.90. CSF: £41.98.
2.32 (1m 7f, £3,961, Hurdle): 1,
MIRABAD (C Hammond) 3-1; 2, Beny
Nahar Road 6-4 fav; 3, St Just In
Time 40-1. 9 ran. 11/4l; 5l. (Dr R
Newland & J Insole). Tote: win £4.00;
pl £1.40, £1.10, £7.50. Exacta: £7.60.
Trifecta: £143.20. CSF: £8.29.
3.02 (1m 7f, £3,961, Hurdle): 1,
MANUELITO (J Tudor) 7-2; 2, I’m
Ravenous 3-1; 3, Golden Move 11-10
fav. 8 ran. 31/4l; 6l. (D Pipe). Tote: win
£4.15; pl £1.10, £1.10, £1.10. Exacta:
£12.50. Trifecta: £17.60. CSF: £12.33.
Non-runner: The Northernlights. The
Northernlights| Rule 4 applies to All
Bets, deduct 10p in the pound.
3.35 (3m 1f, £5,677, Hcap Chase):
1, INFLEXIBLE (S Bowen) 5-2 fav;
2, Almazhar Garde 11-1; 3, Bbold
16-1. 8 ran. 5l; 10l. (T R George). Tote:
win £3.50; pl £1.40, £2.30, £3.60.
Exacta: £21.80. Tricast: £357.08.
Trifecta: £206.50. CSF: £27.79. Nonrunners: Off To A Flyer, Shot Boii,
Twenty Twenty.
4.07 (2m, £4,489, Hcap Chase): 1,
GOWER PRINCE (S Twiston-Davies)
15-8 fav; 2, Blaze A Trail 7-1; 3, I
Shut That D’or 6-1. 5 ran. 10l; hd. (N
Twiston-Davies). Tote: win £2.88; pl
£1.40, £2.90. Exacta: £12.20. Trifecta:
£45.10. CSF: £13.62. Non-runner:
Admiral’s Sunset.
4.37 (1m 7f, £2,178): 1, CELTIC DINO
(S Twiston-Davies) 4-9 fav; 2, Jackpot
Des Bordes 4-1; 3, Washington
Singer 20-1. 10 ran. 1/2l; 91/2l. (S
Thomas). Tote: win £1.45; pl £1.10,
£1.10, £3.30. Exacta: £3.30. Trifecta:
£18.80. CSF: £2.67.
PLACEPOT: Dividend: £6.50
