Thursday 21 December 2017
SPORTS PREVIEW
Thursday 21 December 2017
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NUMBERS – 2 Daily Millions draws per day –
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FOOTBALL
La Liga – Eibar v Girona, 6:30pm, Sky Sports Football and Alaves v Malaga, 8:30pm, Sky Sports Football
A-League – Brisbane Roar FC v Perth Glory, 8:50am, BT Sport 1
Belgian First Division – Gent v Sporting de Charleroi, 7:30pm, and Royal Antwerp v KSC Lokeren, 7:30pm
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HORSERACING
The Thursday line-up is:
Southwell, 11:45pm – An eight-race card on the all-weather surface – seven handicaps, one of them a nursery – plus a 5f maiden for 3yo+; field-sizes are 9-11-11-10-10-12-11 and 11; jockeys in action include Luke Morris, Dougie Costello, Martin Harley, Andrew Mullen, Kieran Shoemark, Fran Berry, PJ McDonald, Jimmy Quinn, Timmy Murphy, Franny Norton, Tom Eaves and Stevie Donohoe; Ireland’s Gavin Cromwell runs Crescendo (Martin Harley) in the 2:15pm race (1m3f23y handicap) and Peter Fahey runs Havelock (Dougie Costello) in the same race; Gavin also runs Why Me in the 12:45pm contest, the mile handicap (Martin Harley), while Peter also runs Alton Bay (Martin Harley) in the opening contest (1m4f handicap); leading jumps trainer Paul Nicholls also has a runner in the opener, Moabit (Megan Nicholls)
Towcester, 12:25pm – A seven-race National Hunt card that has field-sizes of 16-9-16-4 (a £10,000 novices’ chase)-9-14 and 16 (a mares’ bumper); jockeys in action include Tom O’Brien, Harry Skelton, Daryl Jacob, Jamie Moore and Nico de Boinville (who rode a hat trick at Newbury on Wednesday), to name just five
Exeter, 12:35pm – The card contains the £18,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ Novices’ Chase (1:05pm) and the £20,000 188BET Graduation Chase at 2:05pm; field-sizes on the card are 10-5-11-2-11-9 and 17; jockeys in action include the last race is a handicap hurdle for amateur riders Noel Fehily, Sam Twiston-Davies, Aidan Coleman, Sean Bowen, Robbie Power, Tom Scudamore and Richard Johnson, to name just seven
Dundalk, 4:30pm – The track’s penultimate meeting of 2017 – they race again tomorrow (Friday); eight races on Friday, with field-sizes of 4-14 (plus 3 reserves)- 14 (plus 3 reserves)-14-14-14 (plus 3 reserves)-13 and 13 so a competitive meetings lies in store; jockeys in action include Pat Smullen, while Rock On Dandy will bid for a quick third-successive win at the track when running for in-form trainer Fergal Birrane in the 7:30pm race; Timia is another Dundalk hat-trick seeker (6:30pm)
Chelmsford, 5:45pm – The seven-race card begins with an amateur riders’ handicap and is followed by a 7f 2yo race, a Sire/Dam Restricted mile maiden for 2yo (the race carries the Plus10 Bonus), a fillies’ handicap (one mile) then three more handicaps (over distances of 10f, 6f and 6f); field-sizes are 9-11-9-7-7-8 and 14; Ireland’s John Levins runs Complicit (Alex Ferguson) in the opener, Palavicini Run (Donagh O’Connor) at 7:15pm (fillies’ handicap) and Jan Steen (8:45pm, Donagh O’Connor, 6f handicap); other jockeys riding on the card include Luke Morris, PJ McDonald, Fran Berry, Tom Marquand, Adam Kirby, Kieran Shoemark, Shane Kelly and Robert Winston
They also race in India at Chennai (10:15am) and in the UAE at Meydan (2:30pm); later in the shops it is Concepcion (6:30pm) in Chile and ** (**) in the USA
The Turf TV USA/Canada line-up is: Gulfstream, 5:35pm, and Aqueduct, 5:50pm
The South African meeting is Vaal (10:10am)
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GREYHOUNDS
The Thursday line-up is as follows:
11:03am – SUNDERLAND
11:11am – SHEFFIELD
2:08pm – ROMFORD
2:18pm – CRAYFORD
6:28pm – HOVE
6:33pm – MONMORE
6:39pm – NEWCASTLE
The next live meeting on Sky Sports will be in 2018
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AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Week 16
Saturday December 23 – Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens, 9:30pm, Sky Sports Main Event – Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers, 1:30am, Sky Sports Main Event, i.e late Saturday night/early Sunday morning
Sunday December 24 – 12 games from 6pm to 9:25pm
Monday December 25 – Pittsburgh Steelers v Houston Texans, 9:30pm, Sky Sports Main Event – Oakland Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1:30am, Sky Sports Main Event. i.e late Monday night/early Tuesday morning
College Football
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BASKETBALL
There are five NBA matches scheduled for today, with start times ranging from midnight to 3:30am – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
Live:
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights @ Maryland Terrapins, Midnight, BT Sport 2
Connecticut Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats, 2am, BT Sport 2 – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
Kansas Jayhawks@ Stanford Cardinal, 4am, BT Sport 2 – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
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BOXING/UFC
Check out this website – http://boxingschedule.boxingsociety.com/
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CRICKET
Australian Big Bash League – Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades, 8:40am, BT Sport 2
New Zealand T20 – Canterbury v Central Districts, 2am – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
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DARTS
Coming up on the PDC calendar:
The 2017/2018 William Hill World Darts Championship takes place from Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) in London from Thursday December 14 to Monday January 01 – Day eight,7pm, Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Main Event AND Sky Sports Darts
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GAA
Upcoming fixtures – see www.hoganstand.com
The next set of games are scheduled for Saturday December 30th – Round One of the O’Byrne Cup, McGrath Cup, Walsh Cup and Munster SHL
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GOLF
USPGA Tour – Sentry Tournament of Champions, Maui, Hawaii, Jan 4-7, 2018
PGA European Tour – BMW SA Open, Gauteng, South Africa, Jan 11-14, 2018
USLPGA Tour – the next tournament will take place in 2018
USPGA Champions Tour – the next tournament will take place in 2018
Seniors Tour, Europe – the next tournament will take place in 2018
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ICE HOCKEY
There are ten NHL matches taking place today from Midnight to 3:30am – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
Live:
Pittsburgh Penguin v Columbus Blue Jackets, Midnight, eir Sport 2
San Jose Sharks v Vancouver Canucks, 3:30am, eir Sport 2 – i.e. late Thursday night/early Friday morning
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RUGBY UNION
Friday 22 December
Aviva Premiership – Worcester v London Irish, 7:45pm
French Top 14 – Racing 92 v Toulouse, 7:45pm
The Championship – Bristol v Cornish Pirates, 7:45pm, Sky Sports Action – Jersey v Hartpury College RFC, 7:45PM
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SNOOKER
Dafabet Masters, London, Alexandra Palace 14 January – 21 January
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TENNIS
Upcoming tournaments:
ATP, Qatar Open, Doha, Jan 1-7
ATP, Maharashtra Open, Pune, India, Jan 1-7
ATP & WTA, Brisbane International, Australia, Jan 1-7
WTA, Shenzhen Open, Jan 1-7
WTA, ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, Jan 1-7
Posted: 21st December 2017