Mark’s double prize
THE DAY BY NUMBERS
PERRY BARR FANCIES
The first step would be to see More of That gallop to victory in the £1million Randox Health Grand National on Saturday.
And O’Neill would then love to see his beloved Liverpool follow it up by ending 27 years of hurt and finally getting their hands on the Premier League trophy as champions of English football.
The legendary racehorse trainer (right) said: “What a double that would be. It would be special for me. That would be a lifetime ambition and something magical.”
His love affair with Liverpool flourished back in the 1970s when Gordon Richards used to train horses for Liverpool chairman Sidney Reakes.
O’Neill, riding for Richards at that time, would be packed off to the club’s training ground to get himself back into top condition after heavy falls.
And that is where he formed life-long friendships with Kop stars of the day like Kevin Keegan, Terry McDermott, Alan Kennedy and the late Emlyn Hughes. O’Neill got the Anfield bug and it has lasted a lifetime. He added: “Liverpool is my football club. When I was up there with Gordon Richards years ago I got to know all the lads.
“Gordon used to train for the chairman and they used to allow me to go and train with the boys to get back fit.
“They were all bigger fellas than me – big MARK WILLIAMS has an extra incentive to win today’s China Open Final against world No.1 Mark Selby.
The Welshman, 42, is targeting a first title in six years, which would lift him to 16th in the rankings and earn a 20th shot at the World Championship.
Williams, chasing a fourth China Open success, said: “I PRIZE money for the Randox Health Grand National festival at Aintree has been boosted by £100,000 and reaches £3million for the first time. MORE than 150,000 racegoers will pack on to the course for the three days while the British TV audience tops nine million. Overall, an estimated 600 million will watch worldwide. IT’S now 50 years since 100-1 outsider Foinavon negotiated the infamous pile-up at the 23rd fence to storm into the record books with first time Grand National rider John Buckingham on board. wasn’t thinking about the Crucible before today – but now there is just one more match to win in the final, there is plenty of extra incentive.
“At the start of the week, getting the automatic spot with the title looked out of reach but now it is one match and in my own hands.” HECTOR NUNNS ROGER FEDERER needed more than three hours to oust Nick Kyrgios 7-6 6-7 7-6 and set up a Miami Open Final clash with Rafa Nadal. Kyrgios fell apart in the final tie-break when a fan yelled out as he led 5-4 and he miscued a forehand. Nadal eased past Italian Fabio Fognini 6-1 7-5.