‘Heartbroken’ trainers pay tribute to Grand National runner Celebre d’Allen

Celebre d’Allen, who collapsed on the run-in at the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, has died, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the 13-year-old’s co-trainers, said on Tuesday morning.Celebre d’Allen, who in the stewards’ view “had no more to give” after the second last, was able to walk into a horse ambulance after being treated on the track for exhaustion. He had been moved to a nearby livery yard in the hope he would continue his recovery, but “took a downturn” on Monday night.“We’re heartbroken to share that Celebre d’Allen has passed away,” the trainers said. “He received the very best treatment by the veterinary teams and was improving

‘Players want a different path’: why John Amaechi backs change in British basketball

Former NBA star says existing league is a ‘cartel’ that fails young players but others have fears over the new franchiseHaving played professional basketball in five countries, including spells at three NBA franchises, John Amaechi would appear better qualified than most to comment on the state of the sport in this country. So when he describes the nine Super League Basketball clubs as a “cartel” who churn out “sewage”, any interested parties are likely to listen – including the sports minister, Stephanie Peacock, who last week received a letter that included similar sentiments from Amaechi.Peacock has become involved, as the battle for control of British basketball has escalated to civil war. All nine SLB clubs have begun legal proceedings against the sport’s governing body, the British Basketball Federation, which last week signed a 15-year agreement with an American consortium called GBBL to operate a new men’s professional league from next year.As a result, the proposed new league has no clubs or venues, and the problems do not end there

The Cowboys have a brilliant scouting network. They also have Jerry Jones

Dallas have a proven ability to pick up talented players in the draft. But their owner doesn’t help when it comes to free agencyWell, Jerry Jones has done it again – and not in a good way.The Dallas Cowboys’ owner, president, and general manager has once again waited too long to re-sign one of his key players, and he’s going to pay for it as a result. At the 2025 NFL owners’ meetings in early April, Jones was asked about edge-rushing superstar Micah Parsons, and how to keep him on the team.Parsons is probably the Cowboys’ best overall player at this point, and 2025 will mark the final season of his rookie contract

The Breakdown | Premiership clubs’ European debacle illustrates growing French and Irish strength

Four English clubs conceded 215 points on a calamitous weekend with French clubs poised to improve furtherAnd then there was one. Good luck to English club rugby’s sole survivor Northampton, who still have a winnable home Champions Cup quarter-final against Castres this Saturday, but otherwise the flag of St George hangs limply at half‑mast. To suggest the Premiership’s contenders had an underwhelming weekend is like saying global share prices have taken a slight dip.If you’re squeamish about needle-sharp disappointment, look away now. Between them Saracens, Harlequins, Leicester and Sale conceded 215 points in their last-16 ties

Houston rue ‘incomprehensible’ collapse to hand Florida NCAA title

It came down to one more play.In a white-knuckle championship game where every possession felt like a fistfight, Florida landed the final punch. Houston buckled. And for Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, that sliver of difference will sting for a long time.“They made one more play than we did tonight,” said Sampson, denied his 800th win and first national title of a 30-year career in a contest where his team trailed for only 64 seconds all night

Florida roar back to break Houston hearts and capture third NCAA title

The Gators looked cooked. Down 12. Their All-American guard scoreless. The crowd inside a hangar-like 70,000-seat football stadium, just 198 miles down the road from the University of Houston campus, was a deafening sea of scarlet red.And yet Florida found a way