Cook unconcerned by misfiring middle order June 2, 2015 TEST skipper Alastair Cook has defended his side’s misfiring middle-order after New Zealand ripped through England to level the series with an emphatic 199-run success in the second Investec Test at Headingley yesterday. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler top scored with 73 while the in-form Cook notched 56, but England were severely blighted by the loss of [...]
Telecoms firm Daisy in talks with Phoenix IT May 21, 2015 TELECOMS company Daisy is in discussions with cloud IT firm Phoenix to take it over in a £180m cash deal. The bid is in conjunction with the private equity fund Toscafund, which helped Daisy de-list and go private in August last year. Phoenix said it “is in advanced discussions” with Daisy and Toscafund, at a [...]
Chris Tremlett: Aussies arrive for Ashes with world’s best seamers in tow June 17, 2015 Australia touched down at Gatwick Airport yesterday and that has effectively triggered Ashes season. All the hype and trash talk will soon start and the excitement will intensify ahead of the opening ball of the first Test at Cardiff on 8 July. I watched a fair bit of Australia’s recent two-Test tour of the [...]
Analyst Views: What was your reaction to Debenhams’ half-year performance? April 16, 2015 DAVID JEARY | CANACCORD GENUITY We remain concerned about Debenhams’ trading prospects for a number of reasons. It remains too early in our view to judge whether Debenhams has been successful in weaning itself and its customers from its traditionally highly promotional high-low pricing strategy. CAROLINE GULLIVER | JEFFERIES Debenhams’ first half results have beaten [...]
Ashpan Sam well-handicapped in Derby Day Finale June 5, 2015 RACE 7 5.50pm Investec Asset Management Handicap ASHPAN SAM was an electric winner of the last race on today’s card 12 months ago and John Spearing’s six-year-old looks primed to go close in his repeat bid. That came off a mark of 100 and he went up to 105 for that 1 1/2 length triumph [...]
Cook applauds Bayliss capture and looks to surpass Gooch’s all-time record of Test runs May 28, 2015 TEST skipper Alastair Cook believes the expansive global knowledge of newly-appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss means that England have pulled off a “great coup” by hiring the Australian. Bayliss will take the England reins ahead of this summer’s Ashes series, although for now the national side remains under the caretaker command of Paul Farbrace, starting [...]
First-time visor can see Saigon City get his head in front at HQ May 28, 2015 ON A fairly low-key weekend of racing I’m hoping to have unearthed a couple of decent betting opportunities at Newmarket this afternoon. Firmdecisions is likely to be a warm order in the discovernewmarket.co.uk Handicap (3.35pm) after his commanding success over course and distance a couple of weeks ago. The problem for trainer Dean Ivory is [...]
Lungarno Palace set to bring unlucky streak to an end April 21, 2015 BACKING a horse that was an unlucky loser on its previous start is arguably a quick way to the poor house. Backing a horse that’s been unlucky in three of his last four starts is probably the quickest route to the mad house, but I’m still keen to take a chance on LUNGARNO PALACE in [...]
Qualify springs massive surprise to land Oaks win June 5, 2015 TRAINER Aidan O’Brien’s third string Qualify had punters scratching their heads and bookmakers rubbing their hands when she stormed home at 50/1 under Colm O’Donoghue to land the Investec Oaks by a short head from favourite Legatissimo. The daughter of Fastnet Rock was the complete outsider in the field of 11 and arrived at Epsom [...]
Barca can be blocked by stubborn Juve June 4, 2015 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS TOMORROW’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL AND BILL ESDAILE LOOKS AHEAD TO THE INVESTEC DERBY BARCELONA are just the Champions League final away from completing a famous treble, but the Juventus team which stands in their way at Berlin’s Olympiastadion tomorrow night will not be there just to make up the numbers. Lionel Messi’s [...]