I am confident that we will see the real First Gold at Cheltenham."Shotgun Willy, bought as a foal by his owner, Graham Roach, is now second favourite for the novice staying championship, the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, behind Bacchanal. His rivals there will almost certainly include Behrajan, but possibly not his conqueror in yesterday's opening race, Frantic Tan, whose trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, acknowledges him as a slogger and may keep him to handicap company at the Festival.Flagship Uberalles, not aided by several sloppy jumps, was 17 lengths adrift of Function Dream, the revelation of the season over two miles. There was still fighting talk afterwards from his trainer, Noel Chance, but tempered. "There's a bit of improvement to come," he said, "but on this ground even 90 per cent was not enough.

He didn't jump, and if they don't jump in a bog like this they can't run. We were giving the winner weight and we'll be 4lb better at Cheltenham But that won't be enough to pull us together. I'm hoping the ground will be."Function Dream, whose Cleveland-based trainer, Mary Reveley, shunned, as usual, the trip south, has as plain a head as you could find on a horse, but 'andsome is wot 'andsome does, and she, now undefeated in five runs, does very well. But win or lose the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham she will retire, bound for a mating with Bob Back in Ireland.Ironically, the day's most competitive and populous contest, the Tote Gold Trophy, went to the favourite, the 4-1 chance Landing Light. The lightly raced Mick Fitzgerald-ridden six-year-old jumped to the front two out and had only to be pushed out to hold Rooster Booster (11-2), followed in by a pair at 20-1, Milligan and the long-time leader Hit And Run. After Sharpical and Geos it was the trainer Nicky Henderson's third winner of the big handicap hurdle in four years and Landing Light is now third favourite, behind Istabraq and Geos, for the Champion Hurdle in most lists..

The long-awaited showdown between IBF and WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson could happen as early as July 21, Lewis' business manager Adrian Ogun said on Sunday. The long-awaited showdown between IBF and WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson could happen as early as July 21, Lewis' business manager Adrian Ogun said on Sunday. Ogun told BBC Radio Five Live that the fight, expected to be the richest in boxing history at more than $100 million, was imminent."We are ready to start negotiations for a summer date and July 21 is the date we are looking at," Ogun said.Lewis, who was undisputed champion until the WBA title was taken from him by a judge last year, is due to defend his titles against Hasim Rahman April 21 although a venue is yet to be decided. It could be Las Vegas, Monaco or Johannesburg, South Africa.Tyson has won his last three comeback fights in a career that has become stop-start with many fight fans losing interest in him. Lewis has said he believed the former champion had become more interested in starting a movie career.The biggest problem standing in the way of the fight is that the two fighters are contracted to different TV companies in the United States - Lewis with HBO and Tyson with Showtime.. As has been noticed by shrewder observers than me, it is probably no coincidence that England have continued to improve since the advent of central contracts.

With luck and a following wind they will play an ever-significant part as this exciting year unfolds. As has been noticed by shrewder observers than me, it is probably no coincidence that England have continued to improve since the advent of central contracts. With luck and a following wind they will play an ever-significant part as this exciting year unfolds. They arrived not before time (not least perhaps in the case of 32-year-old seam bowlers) and it is only a pity that they took so long. That they can help players get all-important rest and recuperation is obvious. It says something that neither Darren Gough nor myself have been injured since we were contracted.There is perhaps a case, however, for making further advancement, for taking the system to another stage. At present, England players appear to be partly employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and partly by their counties. Some of their wages are still paid by the county, who then receive compensation from the ECB.I contend that all centrally contracted players should have the ECB as their sole employer, so that the ECB are, if you like, acting as England's 19th first-class team.