Wednesday evening brought news of the passing of “a true trailblazer and icon in Irish athletics”, Ronnie Delany. He died in Dublin after a short illness having turned 91 just last Friday. Ian O’Riordan looks back on an extraordinary life which, of course, featured that momentous day in Melbourne in 1956 when he won gold in the 1,500m. To this day, says Ian, it “ranks among the greatest ever achievements in Irish sporting history”.
Over in Cheltenham, “the Willie Mullins festival bandwagon is at full steam”, Brian O’Connor reporting on yet another memorable day for the trainer who had a Grade One hat-trick on Wednesday, including Il Etait Temps’ triumph in the Champion Chase.
There was no little controversy at the festival, though, Irish amateur jockey Declan Queally accusing English professional Nico De Boinville of racially abusing him during the chaotic start to the Turners Novice Hurdle. Queally was later one of four Irish jockeys to be blamed for the chaos, all of them picking up suspensions.
Thursday, hopefully, will be a calmer affair, Brian previewing the action which will include the Ryanair Chase. If the overwhelming favourite Fact To File prevails, will it add to the notion that the horse should be lining up in the Gold Cup instead? And Brian also looks at Hewick’s hopes in the Stayers’ Hurdle – a victory would top the list of trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s fairy-tale results.
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On Saturday, Ireland will attempt to extend their Six Nations record against Scotland to 12 victories on the trot. “From Sexton masterclasses to Healy as hooker”, John O’Sullivan reminds us of that highly successful run.
Andy Farrell is expected to “largely revert to the team which pitched up in Twickenham for Ireland’s record-breaking 42-21 win” when he names his side for Saturday, Gerry Thornley taking you through the likely line-up. And Nathan Johns reckons Ireland’s goal-kicking could prove a serious problem if the Scotland game is tight – a success rate of 70 per cent has Ireland bottom of this year’s Six Nations’ rankings.
In Gaelic games, Ciarán Murphy says there is “hardly a team in the world less Spursy than the Kilkenny hurlers” ... but there was a Spursiness about their hammering by Galway in Salthill last Saturday. And Gordon Manning talks to former Dublin footballer Kevin McManamon, the focus of the latest episode of TG4’s Laochra Gael series, about his county’s current league struggles.
Philip Reid has better news on the Rory McIlroy front – he’s more hopeful now of being able to defend his Players title, his back problems easing (“The drugs are working wonders”).
And in his America at Large column, Dave Hannigan has the peculiar story of how the Atlanta Hawks planned on celebrating a local “iconic cultural institution” ahead of their game against Orlando City next Monday. The institution? A strip club. Not everyone was impressed with the idea.
TV Watch: There’s more from the Winter Paralympics on Channel 4 up to 1.35pm, with highlights of the day’s action at 6.30pm. Sky Sports Golf’s coverage of the opening round at The Players Championship gets under way at 11.30am, and it’s day three at the Cheltenham Festival (Virgin Media One and UTV). The Europa League’s round of 16 starts today, among your TV offerings Lille v Aston Villa (5.45pm) and Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland (8pm), both games on TNT Sports 1 and Premier Sports 1.
