Banjaxed Girl showed there are few tougher staying mares in the jumping world when putting a rare flop behind her with a convincing success in the 32Red.com Mares’ Hurdle at Sandown.

On ground described as testing by most of the jockeys that rode in the two-and-a-half-mile Listed race, Banjaxed Girl made every yard and gritted her teeth to tough it out and find more when threatened by 20-1 outsider Alasi approaching the final flight.

Sam Twiston-Davies had left something up his sleeve and when asking his mount for more, the 6-4 favourite pulled further clear to score by two and a half lengths. It was another three-quarters of a length back to the third, Silver Gypsy.

With trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies at Chepstow, his representative said: “She was very good today and put her Cheltenham run behind her back in her own grade. I think she just had an off-day last time, and remains on course for the David Nicholson race at the Festival.”

The winning rider praised his mount when, saying: “She was in a tough race last time but she thrives on hard work and showed her true colours today. When something comes to her she just keeps finding extra.”

FIFA powerbroker Jack Warner tonight handed England’s 2018 World Cup bid a significant boost after meeting Prime Minister David Cameron by praising English football’s international development work.

Warner had a 20-minute meeting in a suite in Zurich’s Baur au Lac hotel at which England 2018′s David Dein was also present.

The FIFA vice-president, who is also a senior government minister in his native Trinidad, talked about the changing global political climate as well as England’s bid. Warner’s vote is pivotal to England’s hopes – as president of CONCACAF he should be able to deliver a block of three votes to one bid.

Warner said tonight: “The British Prime Minister understands the importance and power of football. He reiterated his government’s commitment to the World Cup and spoke extensively about England’s legacy programme.

Odds on Who will Host the 2018 FIFA World Cup from Paddy Power

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has escaped with a one-match Champions League ban and a fine after UEFA found him guilty of improper conduct relating to the recent dismissals of players Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos.

Mourinho has been banned from the touchline for two UEFA competition matches – the second of which is suspended for three years – with the club fined 120,000 euros after the two players seemed to deliberately incur second bookings, therefore wiping out previous cautions ahead of the Champions League knockout stage.

The Portuguese coach will consequently only miss the dead rubber against Auxerre, providing he does not breach UEFA rules within “a probationary period of three years”.

England will once more be in the same group as Australia for the opening stages of the next World Cup.

Organisers of the 2013 event, which was officially launched by the Rugby Football League at Manchester’s new MediaCityUK today, have closely followed the model used for the 2008 World Cup in Australia.

Two years ago the big guns, England, Australia and New Zealand, were all placed in the same group, alongside minnows Papua New Guinea, and all three progressed through to the semi-finals, with the rest of the teams left to battle through from two pools to claim the one remaining knock-out spot.

The format attracted initial criticism but achieved its objective of avoiding one-sided matches and was widely regarded as a success, generating a profit of around £2million.

This time the competition has been enlarged from 10 teams to 14 and there will be a quarter-final round.

Wales, who failed to qualify in 2008, and Cook Islands, who were runners-up to PNG in the 2009 Pacific Cup, were confirmed as two of the additional teams, with the other two to come from qualifying tournaments to be held in 2011 in Serbia and America.

Italy, Lebanon, Russia, Serbia, Jamaica, South Africa and the USA are the teams vying for the two remaining places.

Ireland, who enjoyed a successful World Cup two years ago, and 2008 semi-finalists Fiji were drawn alongside England and Australia in group A, with holders New Zealand paired with PNG, France and Samoa.

Three teams from each of the two main groups will progress to the last eight, with only the winners of the other two groups going through.

Scotland and Wales will be firm favourites to secure quarter-final spots from Groups C and D.

Go to Ladbrokes and Paddy Power for all the latest Rugby 2013 World Cup odds.

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has played down the incident at the end of last night’s `El Clasico` which saw Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos confront him and Xavi following his late sending off.

Ramos was shown a straight red card after scything down Lionel Messi in the 90th minute of Madrid`s 5-0 defeat at the Nou Camp, and in the ensuing fracas between the rival teams Ramos put his hands into the faces of Barca duo Puyol and Xavi as they remonstrated with him.

However, Puyol, who was pushed to the floor by his fellow Spain international, made light of the incident, saying: “These things happen in a game of football. I`ve gone to defend a team-mate of mine because it seemed a very tough tackle. They are moments of high tension, but what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. I have a very good relationship with Sergio Ramos and it`s already forgotten, I have more important things to think about.”

Puyol added: “There are always different piques with the players from Madrid because they are our biggest rivals. Put it`s a pique on the field of play. We have many friends in the other camp.”

Regarding the match, which saw Barca move two points above previously-unbeaten Madrid at the top of the table with their fifth successive Clasico win, Puyol said: “I didn`t expect a thrashing like that. But when you least expect it, it can happen. Now we need to enjoy this victory. We had a very complete game and played very well. We started very aggressively, playing our football and everything went perfectly.”

For all the latest Primera Division odds check out Paddy Power and Betfair.

Thursday’s National Hunt fixture at Leicester is the latest to be abandoned.

Officials called an inspection for 10am but having seen no improvement in the conditions overnight, the decision was an easy one.

The course is currently covered in frost and snow with no prospect of a thaw.

Bet on all other racing cards today with Paddy Power and Ladbrokes.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were victorious on the final day of round-robin action at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to ensure a dream semi-final line-up at London’s O2 Arena tomorrow.

World number one Nadal will play home hope Andy Murray in the first match at 2pm before Djokovic takes on Roger Federer tomorrow evening.

Nadal’s week in London last year was one of his lowest moments, with the Spaniard failing to win even a set, but 12 months on things could not be more different.

This afternoon’s 7-6 (7/3) 6-1 victory over Tomas Berdych in a repeat of the Wimbledon final made it three wins out of three in Group A, with Nadal upping his level again from wins over Roddick and Djokovic.

Nadal is 6/11 favourite to beat Andy Murray in saturday’s semi final of the ATP World Tour Finals. Djokovic faces 4/9 favourite Roger Federer, who is 11/8 to Win the tournament followed by Nadal at 2/1 with Boylesports.

England had to overcome a nightmare start to their Ashes campaign when captain Andrew Strauss was out for a third-ball duck in the first over at the Gabba.

Strauss had chosen to bat first on a warm but partially cloudy morning – only to find himself out of the equation almost immediately.

England recovered though, to reach 36 for one after an hour’s play on a pitch tinged with green and playing perhaps a little slower than anticipated.

Strauss left the first ball from Ben Hilfenhaus and pushed the second defensively into the turf off the back foot.

But he thought he saw a scoring opportunity off the third, only for a hint of movement back into him from an otherwise innocuous short ball to result in a cut straight into the hands of gully fielder Mike Hussey.

It was not until the third over that number three Jonathan Trott opened England’s account – with a thick, controlled edge wide of the slips for four off Hilfenhaus.

Two balls later, his trademark impressive timing into the leg side brought him a second boundary to the midwicket fence.

Strauss’ opening partner Alastair Cook managed just three singles in the first half-hour, two dropped into the leg-side ring off each bowler and another tickled down to fine leg off Peter Siddle.

There was another scare round the corner for England when Australia chanced a review for lbw against Trott on eight.

They lost it, though, Aleem Dar’s not-out verdict standing after simulation suggested the ball from Siddle was only clipping the outside of leg stump.

There had been some new-ball swing for Hilfenhaus. But he was replaced, after a five-over spell, by Mitchell Johnson at the Stanley Street end.

Rafael Nadal repeated his US Open final triumph with a 7-5 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic tonight to move to the brink of qualification for the semi-finals at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The Spaniard edged a titanic first set that saw Djokovic troubled by a contact lens problem, but the second was much more routine as the world number one wrapped up victory in one hour 52 minutes.

Tomas Berdych’s victory over Andy Roddick earlier meant Nadal could not qualify for the last four tonight, but he is certainly in pole position, while the Spaniard’s win means Roddick is still alive in Group A despite two defeats.

Nadal, who did not win a set during last year’s tournament at the O2, said: “It was a very good match for me. I was very sorry for Novak for what happened with his eye, I hope he is okay. It was my best match in this tournament.”

Teams for the first Test between England and Australia, starting in Brisbane tomorrow at 10am local time:

England (probable): AJ Strauss (captain), AN Cook, IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, IR Bell, MJ Prior (wkt), SCJ Broad, GP Swann, ST Finn, JM Anderson

Australia (from): RT Ponting (captain), SM Katich, SR Watson, MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey, MJ North, BJ Haddin (wkt), MG Johnson, XJ Doherty, PM Siddle, BW Hilfenhaus

Umpires: A Dar (Pak) and B Doctrove (WI)

Third umpire: T Hill (NZ)

Match referee: J Crowe (NZ)

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