ELLIOTT FEAR Potential Cheltenham backlash
Versatile Richie going extra Myl for Rhinos
RACING CHIEFS are bracing themselves for negative publicity if horses from Gordon Elliott’s Cullentra House stables win at Cheltenham next week.
Last Friday, Elliott received a sixmonth ban – with a further six months suspended – from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board after a photograph of the Co Meath trainer sitting astride a dead horse was published on social media.
Control of the stable, responsible for 32 Festival winners since 2012 passed to Denise Foster on Monday.
And British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington admitted the controversy will resurface if Foster-trained are successful at the Festival.
Harrington said: “We want the coverage to be about the great stories.
“But we’re not naive – we know people will have questions.
“We are really pleased our colleagues in Ireland acted swiftly. That’s not as simple as to say, ‘Let’s draw a line under it and move on.’ But runners the sanction is in place.” Foster had her first winner in her new role when Jack Kennedy scored on Defi Bleu at Wexford yesterday.
Foster said: “It’s great for Jack, the horse and the whole team at Cullentra House.
“It’s a great lift for the whole team, who are doing such a great job.”
Rob James last night received a 12-month ban – of which eight were suspended – for the video of the Cheltenham Festival-winning rider climbing on to a dead horse. ADAM WEDGE will miss the Cheltenham Festival. He was due to ride Silver Streak in Tuesday’s Unibet Champion Hurdle but has suffered a fractured T12 vertebrae in a fall at Newbury last Friday.
RICHIE MYLER has no problem being Leeds Rhinos’ Mr Fix It.
Myler has spent the vast majority of his 15-year Super League career at scrum-half, the position in which he won a Challenge Cup with Warrington.
But in 2020 he filled four different roles for the Rhinos, including an extended spell at full-back, where he won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match in a second Wembley triumph.
This pre-season has already seen Myler’s potential role switched again, following injuries to first talisman Luke Gale and then Jack Walker, the young full-back who could miss the entire campaign.
The recent arrival of Kyle Eastmond has given Richard Agar further options in the playmaking positions – and Myler will put his hand up for whichever position the coach sees fit.
He said: “I went into pre-season pretty open-minded.
“Last year I played hooker, I played six, I played seven and I played full-back. I really enjoyed playing full-back, that was where I felt most comfortable.
“I think I am more of an asset to the team, with our current dynamic, at full-back.
“But I have come in this season with a mindset on just being adaptable and seeing where I am needed.
“With Jack being out, that freed up a spot to play full-back more regularly, if I am given the chance.
“Then again, we’ve got a couple of halves injured, Galey and Rob Lui. Galey is almost back, which is a good thing, but we are down on halves.
“It’s a case of me just focusing on myself again and on what put me in a good mindset and a good position for last year.
“Wherever I am chucked happy. I just want to play.”
Myler is relishing the prospect of teaming up again alongside dualcode international Eastmond, who he lined up with for England against France in 2009.
Myler added: “He is a very talented rugby player. You can see his skillset. He’s only been in with us a couple of days but you can see he is naturally a very talented player.
“That is going to be great for our squad, and having his attributes back in rugby league is a bonus for everybody.
“It’s certainly a bonus for our team because he is obviously a threat.” in,
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LAWRENCE OKOLIE has put a £500 bounty on his own head, urging sparring partners to try and knock him down, in order to be ready for his world title clash.
The Hackney cruiserweight faces Polish puncher Krzysztof Glowacki for the vacant WBO title a week on Saturday at Wembley Arena.
Okolie, 28, is bidding to become a world champion in just his 16th professional fight after turning over following the Rio Olympics in 2016.
He is preparing with coach Shane Mcguigan at his training base at Kent University.
And he put out an offer to his sparring partners in camp to ramp up the intensity of the sessions – but none of them have managed to cash in.
Okolie said: “We put money down to see if anyone is able to knock me down or anything like that. Everyone is coming with good energy, it’s intense and nobody is taking it easy.
“The money is still fictional, it’s not there yet. There is no way I would allow myself to go down.
“Right now, I think we are around the £500 mark.
“When I’m a world champion we will increase it a bit more. It should be a good incentive.”
Unbeaten Okolie is living the student life in a houseshare with his four main sparring partners, alongside his camp manager and nutritionist.
But while he is not having to pay out in the gym, his confidence has taken some blows in the evenings when the group is relaxing.
He said: “We watch movies in the evening or play Playstation, or spend time in your own room.
But the FIFA champion is definitely not me, that’s all I will say on that. I don’t play on FIFA no more, my confidence has been smashed to pieces.
“For me it is Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat!”
Okolie was due to face former world champion Glowacki back in December but the 34-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 and was ruled out.
‘The Sauce’ wasn’t too gutted as the clash will now come in his 16th fight – which also happens to be his lucky number.
But he is leaving nothing to chance as he puts the final touches to his preparations and that includes making sure every little detail is looked at right down to the hours he sleeps. “I enjoy having the training camp mindset and it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable but it is good to not have home comforts,” he added.
“In camp we can check everything I do – what I eat matters, when I sleep matters.
“Sleep is the difference in winning and losing in a boxing match but also in life.
“The difference with people who sleep six hours to eight hours is massive.
“Men who sleep six hours have smaller testicles, depression creeps in. Physiologically you start to feel a difference.
“I don’t mind my friend telling me to go to bed, I might throw a little strop, but it is good to have that group mentality of everyone helping each other out.”
ENDING Manchester City’s unbeaten run was one thing – but Harry Maguire says halting their own trophy drought has to be Manchester United’s real goal.
United have not won silverware since 2017 and Maguire insists that is not good enough for a club of their size.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men lost three semi-finals last season to finish yet another frustrating campaign empty-handed.
United are still competing on three fronts this time round and will host AC Milan tonight in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 showdown.
Maguire, 28, says United have to aim for all three trophies because that is the level the club is supposed to be at.
The England defender said: “When you play for this club, you’re expected to win trophies. If you’re playing for this club, the main focus is to win football games and trophies, so, yeah, it’s really important.
“We’re in the FA Cup and Europa League and still fighting in the Premier League as well, so we’re playing three competitions and we want to go as far as we can in all of them. Lifting trophies is what we expect to do at this club.”
Maguire has made 41 appearances for United this season, leading to fears Gareth Southgate’s top England stars will face burnout before the Euros in June.
But Maguire claims he doesn’t need a rest and is relishing going up against a Milan team that he used to watch while growing up.
ROUND OF 16 MAN UNITED AC MILAN Live on
He believes United go into the clash with Serie A’s second-placed side in confident mood following last weekend’s derby win and added: “They’re obviously a top team and a great club.
“When I was growing up I watched a lot of AC Milan, the big games and the big nights they were involved in.
“So it’s an exciting tie for us. We want to play the best, we want to test ourselves against the best teams. We’re looking forward to it.
“If I need a rest, I will speak to the manager, but I feel good physically and the more we win, the better I feel mentally. I’ll rest when I’m retired.”
Solskjaer, meanwhile, has revealed Marcus Rashford
(inset) will miss the game with an ankle problem, joining Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Donny van de Beek and David De Gea on the sidelines.
AC MILAN boss Stefano Pioli admits dumping United out of the Europa League would be a dream come true.
Pioli, who will be without injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, said: “We are working to get back to winning and making our dreams come true.”
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Wan-bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Mctominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, James; Martial.
AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Calabria, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Dalot; Tonali, Kessie; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Castillejo; Leao.
REFEREE: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia).
Harry’s in real hurry to score some silverware