Category Sports News

Fact To File won the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown with stablemate Galopin Des Champs settling for third when targeting a fourth successive victory in the race.

Under Mark Walsh, the nine-year-old mare (9-2) bounced back from a disappointing run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on 26 December to finish ahead of Gaelic Warrior (4-1) and favourite Galopin Des Champs (15-8).

“That is the real Fact To File today,” Walsh told RTE Sport.

“He was never happy and I was never happy at Kempton and he is after showing us today what we knew he could do.

“He is so clever. You just leave it to him – he is one of those horses who is a joy to ride. He has learned so much – now he is the full package.”

Affordale Fury (8-1) led for the majority of the race before Galopin Des Champs took to the front with four fences to go.

However, Monty’s Star, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File quickly caught up, with the latter charging ahead and winning by five lengths.

Gaelic Warrior crossed the line in a comfortable runners-up position with Galopin Des Champs securing third just ahead of Firefox (33-1) in fourth.

Earlier on Monday, Doctor Steinberg (7-4) continued his perfect record over hurdles with a comfortable victory in the Grade One Novice Hurdle, coming home eight lengths ahead of Kazansky (4-1) and Love Me Tender (4-1).

Even-money favourite Narciso Has won the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle ahead of Selma De Vary (17-2) and Mange Tout (15-8).

Hosts Italy have been embarrassed days before the start of the Winter Olympics – with their biathlete Rebecca Passler kicked out of the Games because of a failed doping test.

Passler was provisionally suspended by Italy’s anti-doping agency (Nado) after she tested positive for banned substances letrozole and methanol.

Letrozole is a drug used to lower oestrogen levels and is frequently used to treat breast cancer, while methanol is a toxic chemical not meant for human consumption.

The Italian Olympic Committee said in a statement it has ordered her “immediate exclusion” from the team.

It is the first positive test of an athlete since teams started arriving in Italy for the Milan-Cortina Games, which officially start on Friday.

Passler, 24, achieved her best result at the 2024 IBU World Championships with 11th in the women’s 4x6km relay.

She had been set to make her Olympic debut at her home Games, but now faces a lengthy ban from the sport.

Naming rights for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium have been extended by the building society that sponsors the venue.

Known as the Millennium Stadium when it opened in 1999, it was renamed the Principality Stadium in a 10-year deal with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in 2016.

That deal has now been extended three years up until 2030.

“Having our name above one of the world’s most iconic entertainment and sporting venues is Principality’s statement of intent to the million visitors who come to Cardiff each year,” the building society said in a statment.

As well as hosting international rugby, the stadium is also a venue for other sporting events such as the European Champions Cup final and the Champions League final.

It has also staged concerts by acts including Oasis, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Harry Styles and Billy Joel, with Take That and Metallica confirmed to appear later in 2026.

The new naming deal comes at a turbulent time for the WRU, which owns the stadium outright.

A proposed new structure for the elite game in Wales, prompted by poor performance and financial instability, has led to public protests at the threat of reducing the number of regional sides from four to three.

Nottingham Forest have tabled a third bid for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels worth up to £25m.

The English Premier League club failed with an initial £14m offer for the 22-year-old Belgium international and then had an improved £17m bid also turned down.

Sources have indicated Forest’s latest proposal is still short of the Scottish club’s valuation.

Engels joined Celtic for £11m from German club Augsburg in August 2024.

He has played 89 times in all competitions for the Glasgow club and helped them win the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup last season.

“Honestly, I am telling you, I didn’t know anything about it,” said interim manager Martin O’Neill when asked about Forest’s move for Engels following Celtic’s 2-0 win over Falkirk on Sunday.

“If they have, then they must have done it during the game. And I would want it rebuffed, unless it was £100m.

“Then I think the board would step in there. No, absolutely, I would rather keep him.”

Both Celtic, who O’Neill says are close to making two signings, and Forest are in the Europa League play-offs that take place this month.

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is set to complete a loan move to Sheffield United.

Phillips is out of favour at Etihad Stadium and can leave before Monday’s 19:00 GMT transfer deadline.

He has agreed to move to Bramall Lane until the end of the season, with the Championship club working to finalise the deal for the former England international.

The 30-year-old’s one and only appearance this season came in the final seven minutes of City’s Carabao Cup win against Huddersfield in September.

Phillips – who joined Pep Guardiola’s men from boyhood club Leeds United in 2022 in a deal worth £45m – has previously been loaned out to Ipswich Town and West Ham United.

In December 2022, Guardiola slammed the midfielder for returning from the World Cup “overweight” and “not in the right condition to train”.

Sunderland have agreed a deal worth up to £17.5m for Anderlecht and Ecuador winger Nilson Angulo.

The clubs have reached an agreement on a £15m fee plus £2.5m in add-ons for the 22-year-old.

He only recently signed a contract extension with Anderlecht in September 2025, after joining in 2022.

He’s now leaving Belgium after three and a half years with 15 goal contributions this season across 30 appearances.

He made his senior international debut in October 2021 during a friendly against Mexico.