Kya deLongchamps clocks some George Nelson glamour.

No Stephen Curry? No LeBron James? No problem. Despite missing the game’s two best players, the US men’s basketball team are still the slam dunk favorite to return home from the Rio Olympics with the gold medal.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the way as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a historic comeback to win the NBA title.

Like everyone else, Draymond Green could only watch as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sent the NBA Finals back to Cleveland.

The owners of Ireland’s only oil refinery at Whitegate, Co Cork have confirmed there is significant interest in the facility after the Irish Examiner revealed last week that a sale was close to completion.

Global temperatures are on the rise, despite the chill we feel when we open the front door. And jetting off for a few weeks in the sun is only doing more damage to the fragile environment

American writer John Irving may have spent a career juxtaposing novels with original screenplays, but now he has turned a film script into a novel, says Sue Leonard.

I would really love to win the race, not just for me, but for Willie Mullins, writes Ruby Walsh

LeBron James savoured every bump from Kobe Bryant in the low post.

The first of two great days of racing at Fairyhouse takes place today and, while Willie has a number of runners at the track, I’ll be at Newcastle to ride Wicklow Brave in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly is collecting the pension. Douvan is going chasing and Jezki is injured and out for the foreseeable future so it looks like it is going to be a drab hurdling season. Think again. There will be a thousand great stories through the winter and ten of them could be here.

John Banville’s first novel in three years references many of his own characters in a quasi paean to metafiction and artistic thievery, writes Val Nolan.

The New One’s Stan James Champion Hurdle preparations neared completion yesterday with a satisfactory schooling session.

Ladbroke Hurdle winner Bayan is on target for the Prix Juigne at Auteuil on March 1 which would make him unlikely to take up his entry in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

Irving’s participation in next month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham is in doubt.

Annie Power tops a list of 48 entries for the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle which will be run as a Grade One contest for the first time at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Sprinter Sacre, the highest-rated chaser in training, spearheads six confirmations for the Sodexo Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

After Helen is a moving look at love, loss and the challenges of parenthood.

Harry Fry bids to continue his flying start to the year as Jolly’s Cracked It shoots for Grade One glory in Saturday’s 32Red Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown today.

Paul Nicholls tightened his stranglehold on the William Hill King George VI Chase when 15-8 favourite Silviniaco Conti provided him with a record ninth success in the St Stephen’ s Day feature at Kempton.

Faugheen was a hugely impressive winner of the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle at Kempton to strengthen his grip on the Champion Hurdle market.

Willie Mullins thinks Faugheen (pictured) has made "extraordinary" progress ahead of his latest big-race assignment in the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Friday

Ruby Walsh was delighted that Un De Sceaux put a fall on his chasing debut firmly behind him with an impressive victory at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

David Pipe believes "the sky really does look the limit" for unbeaten novice chaser Kings Palace.

Joe Tizzard feels there is more improvement to come from Cue Card when the horse bids to erase the memory of last year’s agonising defeat in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

I flew from Shannon to Heathtrow on Thursday night, after riding two winners at Thurles, and was looking forward to a couple of days at Newbury.

I’m worried about sex with my new girlfriend. I’m 10 years older than her and have just come out of a marriage. 

MEDAL FOR SALE

A Channel 4 show which attempts to sequence the DNA of historical figures from Adolf Hitler to Marilyn Monroe claims to have discovered what could have caused Elvis Presley’s early death.

Connections of Jezki are keen to let the dust settle after his Champion Hurdle triumph before deciding on plans for the remainder of the season.

Connections of Kings Palace are confident Briar Hill will not have things all his own way in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

Bookmakers had their noses in front in the betting stakes after a dramatic day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

Tosnu maith leath na h'oibre (a good start is half the battle) is an old Irish saying and that's precisely what the Irish got in the first, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, with Vautour simply destroying the opposition.

The bookies are steeling themselves for potentially massive losses on the opening day of the Cheltenham festival, which kicks off today.

Anthony Honeyball insists he is thinking solely of this afternoon’s William Hill Imperial Cup at Sandown rather than the Cheltenham Festival with Regal Encore.

Willie Mullins has left Un De Sceaux in the Stan James Champion Hurdle alongside Hurricane Fly.

Conditions at Newbury by this Saturday could force Paul Nicholls into a reshuffle of troops for the Betfair Hurdle.

Over 350 entries have been made for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, JCB Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with the Willie Mullins stable responsible for 64 of those.

Big Buck’s is as short as 6-4 favourite to regain his Ladbrokes World Hurdle crown after the current champion Solwhit was ruled out of the race with injury.

American Hustle ****

Trainer Jessica Harrington has confirmed Jezki will tackle the brilliant Hurricane Fly for a second time in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 26.