Unified world champion Xander Zayas has responded to Devin Haney and his father, Bill, who said during an interview last week that the Puerto Rican is merely “food to us.”
Zayas unified the super-welterweight division last month, claiming a split decision victory against Abass Baraou to come away with the WBO and WBA titles.
Immediately after his career-best victory, the 23-year-old called out Josh Kelly who, earlier that evening, had dethroned Bakhram Murtazaliev to become the IBF world champion at 154lbs.
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Since then, both fighters have expressed an interest in their potential unification match, though Kelly has not entirely welcomed Zayas’ offer of a clash in Puerto Rico or New York.
Instead, ‘Pretty Boy’ is eager to headline a card at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light this summer, but would likely agree to fight overseas if the money makes sense.
As for Zayas, who is fiercely pursuing a showdown with Kelly, a possible opportunity to defend his titles against Haney has suddenly presented him with an alternative option.
The 27-year-old comes off a dominant points victory over Brian Norman Jr in November, when he claimed his WBO welterweight title, but is now flirting with the idea of becoming a four-division world champion.
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And after Bill Haney labelled Zayas as “food” in an interview with thaboxingvoice, the unified super-welterweight champion simply had no choice but to respond. Haney caught win of a video with the translation, which refers to Haney’s lawsuit against Ryan Garcia in 2024, ‘The Dream’ threw down his gauntlet on X.
“Relax ‘Diva’ my focus is getting the third belt from Kelly but we already told your DADDY if that doesn’t happen we will be happy to put the 1 [loss] back on your record.”
Haney’s majority decision defeat, which Zayas refers to, came against Garcia in 2024, but was later overturned to a no-contest after ‘King Ry’ tested positive for ostarine.
Akwa United FC claimed a 1–0 victory over Rovers FC in a Nigeria National League Matchday 10 clash at the Uyo Township Stadium on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
The match started with early drama. In the 7th minute, Aniebiet Sunday appeared to score from Etim Charles’ cross, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Akwa United continued to press, with Etim Charles seeing a curling corner fly just over the bar in the 38th minute.
The second half saw both sides create chances. Yannick’s curling free kick in the 47th minute was tipped over by Rovers goalkeeper Chibueze Lambert, while Akwa United goalkeeper Aloysius ThankGod produced a superb one-handed save in the 54th minute to keep his side level. Esonwanne Gift also came close with a header in the 82nd minute, but it went wide.
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The breakthrough finally came in the 88th minute. Aniebiet Sunday calmly converted a precise pass from fellow debutant Oladimeji Dada to fire home the stoppage-time winner. The goal sent the home fans into celebrations and handed Akwa United maximum points in the derby.
Aniebiet Sunday’s performance earned him the Player of the Match award, powered by Ibom Air. His composure, movement, and decisive finish made him a deserved winner of the accolade on his first appearance for the club.
The victory keeps Akwa United at the top of the NNL Conference B table with 22 points from ten games. With the second half of the season underway, Coach Paul Offor emphasised the need for consistency and focus as the team prepares to face Abeokuta Stormers FC in Matchday 11.
Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart and former United States Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker are engaged, as the latter popped the question on Valentine’s Day on Saturday.
Smart said “yes,” and shared the news on Instagram.
Former Team USA Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker and ice dancer Olivia Smart of team Spain pose for a photograph after proposing in the streets of Milan on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Feb. 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy.(Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)
“It’s always been you,” the couple captioned a video leading up to the proposal in the streets of Milan.
Smart was clearly shocked at the moment, while the video showed Baker holding up the ring as his new fiancée competed on the ice below.
These two had been friends for quite some time, but on the ice, Team USA and Spain were obvious rivals as they competed for the same prize.
In the 2022 Beijing Games, as well as two World Championships, Baker and Smart competed against one another for gold.
Smart finished above Baker in the 2022 Games, as she finished eighth to his 11th place.
Former Team USA Olympic ice dancer Jean-Luc Baker proposes to ice dancer Olivia Smart of team Spain in the streets of Milan on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on Feb. 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy.(Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)
Baker was in the stands this time for the Milan Cortina Games, while Smart was competing alongside partner Tim Dieck in the ice dance. They finished ninth in the competition.
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Smart may not have finished the way she hoped, but at least she didn’t leave Milan without some sort of hardware.
Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics
Baker had won bronze in his Olympic career, taking it home during the 2018 Winter Games. He hasn’t been able to compete since 2023 due to injuries.
Olivia Smart and partner Tim Dieck of Team Spain compete in the Ice Dance – Free Dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy.(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is headed to free agency after an injury-riddled 2025 season, appearing in only seven games.
Hendrickson has been with the Bengals for the last five seasons. However, his stay in Cincinnati will likely end soon due to the franchise’s complicated salary cap situation.
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NFL insider Cameron Wolfe said Hendrickson’s reunion with the Bengals is unlikely. He named the Indianapolis Colts, worth $5.9 billion (according to Forbes), as a potential landing spot for the four-time Pro Bowler.
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“A source told me he figures it’s unlikely for these two sides to reunite going into next season,” Wolfe said on Saturday, via “The Wolfe of Ball Street.” “A difficult decision for Cincy because their relationship has not been great in recent weeks, and I’m told that if this deal does end up happening, free agency-wise, keep an eye on the Indianapolis Colts.
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“It’s a team that wants to be aggressive. They made the big splash move for Sauce Gardner mid-season. Lou Anarumo has a lot of familiarity with Trey Hendrickson. They just hired a D-line coach named Marion Hobby who coached Trey Hendrickson for four years in Cincinnati when they were all together.”
Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo spent six years with the Bengals in the same role. He helped Hendrickson record 57 sacks and earn four Pro Bowl honors before leaving at the end of the 2024 season.
Bengals “unlikely” to give franchise tag to Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson posted 17.5 sacks in consecutive seasons before a hip injury restricted him to just four sacks in 2025. The veteran defensive end had lengthy negotiations with the Bengals last offseason and was expected to get a franchise tag this year.
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However, the Bengals are unlikely to tag him as it would cost them $30.2 million. The franchise tag window will open on Tuesday until March 3.
LONDON — It was a tactical gambit only brought about by an injury in the warm-up. It was one that Mikel Arteta had had more than six years to play about with, something he had only done fleetingly. And it was the first look that he moved on from with a halftime substitution.
Basically, Bukayo Saka’s dalliance with central midfield in this 4-0 shellacking of Wigan Athletic is probably just going to be one of those curios that is left to gather dust in the vault. Mikel Arteta’s electric Nebraska, if you will. And maybe the boss has good reason not to indulge the wishes of his fanbase. Simplicity is so often the greatest conduit towards creativity. If your songs sound best with guitar and harmonica, play them that way. If you have one of the best right wingers on the planet, play him there.
Then again, maybe there’s something in this that merits a second hearing? After all, Arteta said as much after the game.
“That’s something that’s a possibility, and I wanted to try it, and we might use it in the future. We still have so many games, competitions and different scenarios to play in this season, and that’s a possibility that we have,” Arteta said.
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When Riccardo Calafiori limped out with injury, there could have been a like-for-like swap with Piero Hincapie. Myles Lewis-Skelly ultimately swapped out of his midfield berth for left back, but it could have been Martin Zubimendi or Declan Rice who brought experience to the engine room. Given that Martin Odegaard joined Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino on the sidelines, someone is going to have to step into midfield. Why not a player who seemed to offer his side some of what they have missing, albeit against very limited opposition?
Arsenal’s attack has occasionally drifted out of tune this season, very proficient individual players not always synchronizing as they might. Saka is not excluded from that assessment given he has seven goals and five assists in 33 games across all competitions, a tally he failed to add to on Sunday, even as he forced an own goal for the Gunners’ third.
A fair chunk of that underperformance can be credited to Saka being behind his expected goals and assists, not a fact you would necessarily expect to be quite so true a few months from now. Then again Saka is not quite delivering the same xG and shot output he had at the peak of his threat two years ago. Anything that might get their best attacker into the most dangerous positions more frequently is surely worth an extended play.
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Arsenal have tried this before, Saka getting a sniff at central midfield in the drudgery of lockdown ball, late in the 2019-20 season and early in the weeks that follow. He is a different player now, however, and Arsenal are a different team.
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You could see Saka bringing back some of the qualities that this team has occasionally lacked in its worst attacking moments. His movement for the third immediately had one harking back to 2022-23 and Granit Xhaka: byline crasher. With the flying Noni Madueke drawing the attention of his defense, there was a seam for the central midfielder to attack. A first time cross before the ball went out of play should have been turned in by Gabriel Jesus, who instead miscued the ball into the path of the unfortunate Jack Hunt.first-time
That the cross came off his weaker foot speaks to the great quality he could deliver centrally, his two-footedness making him into even more of a double threat than he is off the right flank. With a bit more space to operate on the outside, Saka could blow by his opponents on the outside to get to a crossing spot or manufacture a shooting chance, too. As is apparent in the progressive flow graphic below, an awful lot of Arsenal’s forward momentum came in the inside right channel Saka occupied for the first 45 minutes, after which Viktor Gyokeres took his place.
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“He’s more central, he’s closer to the goal,” said Arteta. “It’s a bit more difficult for the opponent to get his reference constantly. He can interchange position with the wide player as well, and he’s so good at picking those spaces, and when he’s there, he can really hurt you with the ball.”
On a broader level, Arsenal found themselves with a midfield that was just that bit more intent on stretching play beyond the opposition defense. One of the few critiques you could throw at the Zubimendi, Rice and Odegaard triumvirate is that all three are so adept with the ball at their feet that they tend to gravitate towards it. Saka was more intent on attacking space. With Gabriel Jesus dropping off as Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli drove on, there were options for the deep passers. The outstanding Eberechi Eze exploited those with aplomb.
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“I was a bit surprised with the level of cohesion and connections very early in the match,” said a candid Arteta. “When you make that many changes, that can be a part of the game that can be lacking, but certainly it wasn’t, and we scored some very, very good goals.”
All of this comes with the most almighty of caveats. Sunday’s opposition were, ermmm, not very good. When Madueke cooly rolled in the opener, the travelling Wigan support serenaded their hosts with a chant of “How shit must you be, it’s only 1-0.” Three goals later they struck up a similar tune. When they’ve seen give up six to Peterborough United last week, there was little to really fear from the Emirates Stadium. Arteta could have played Saka at center back and given Tommy Setford his home debut at the tip of the attack. Arsenal were still going to win.
As such Saka’s shift infield might be a one and done, a short sharp burst rather than a change of direction. But when Arsenal find the rhythm that so impressed their manager from the off today, you do want to hear a little bit more.
After sitting as a healthy scratch for the last two games, Jon Cooper said Brad Marchand won’t be watching from the stands much longer.
The Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team head coach told reporters shortly after Canada’s 10-2 win over France to wrap up preliminary action that the veteran forward will play in their quarterfinal contest.
Marchand last made an appearance in Canada’s 5-0 opening win over Czechia, logging an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-one mark through 9:29 of ice time.
The 37-year-old has been a steady contributor for the defending champion Florida Panthers through the first half of the season, racking up 25 goals and 25 assists through 46 games prior to the Olympic break.
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As for Canada, the team heads into the knockout phase of the tournament in Milano Cortina with a 3-0-0 record and a goal differential of plus-17.
It’s time for the PGA Tour to pick its Valentine at Pebble Beach.
There might not be a more fitting locale in all of golf for a Sunday of romance on the PGA Tour than Monterey Peninsula. The cliffs and ocean views at Pebble Beach are among the most beautiful in all of golf — and on Sunday, they’ll crown the latest champion at the event formerly known as the Crosby Clam Bake.
Collin Morikawa hopes he’s in the driver’s seat. After a Saturday 62, the two-time major champ vaulted into the final pairing in pursuit of just his second win since the 2021 season. His confidence is surging at just the right time, but he’ll need to outlast the likes of Akshay Bhatia — who clung to a six-shot lead at one point on Saturday and enters Sunday with a two-shot advantage.
The two golfers will also have to fend off a charging field of stars, including Scottie Scheffler and rising pro Jacob Bridgeman, and outlast expected wicked conditions on Sunday.
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Whoever wins on Sunday will take home $3.6 million, while second place will take home $2.16 million. The total purse for the event is $20 million. You can check out the entire payout breakdown below, and you can watch the final round from 1-3. p.m. ET on Golf Channel and 2-7 p.m. ET on CBS.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am money: Total purse, payout breakdown
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) reacts after a defensive stop during fourth-quarter action against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 25, 2025 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Cashman celebrated as the crowd roared late in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Every offseason, the Minnesota Vikings extend at least one player’s contract earlier than expected. For example, Minnesota handed outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel an extra $23 million in 2025. That will happen again in 2026. The following is a list of candidates.
Vikings extension talks could heat up quickly, because a few core starters already sit at the intersection of timing and roster need.
Free agency will get underway in three weeks, so between now and the end of May, expect these four men to be in line for possible extensions.
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Early Extension Candidates for the Vikings in 2026
Who’s due for more years and money a bit early? These are the candidates in alphabetical order.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) reacts following a snap on Dec 22, 2024, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, during a fourth-quarter sequence against the Seahawks. Cashman turns toward the sideline as the play finishes, emotion visible in a tight late-game moment. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.
1. Blake Cashman (LB)
If Cashman hadn’t missed four games due to injury in 2025, his 11.07 tackles per game pace would’ve translated to 188 in a full season, which would be the eighth-most in a season in NFL history. Somehow, Cashman’s 2025 campaign flew under the radar, even for the most ardent Vikings fans.
Now, he has one year left on his contract. The Eden Prairie just feels like a guy who will spend the rest of his career in Minnesota, and the fantastic production does little to refute that theory.
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Cashman earns $7.5 million per season. Before too long, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski will probably extend his contract by two years and $20 million or so.
2. Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
The Vikings signed Greenard to a four-year contract during the 2024 offseason, which is wonderful — but his guaranteed money ran out last season. Seeking to restructure some players’ contracts to ease the salary cap pain, Minnesota will probably extend Greenard, pay him fair market value, and let him continue his run in Minnesota.
Some have floated Greenard in fancy trade theories to Cincinnati for Joe Burrow, but in reality, Burrow probably isn’t for sale, and the Vikings value Greenard. It’s not wise to get rid of EDGE rushers when a team is plotting a path back to the postseason.
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Greenard was the butt of “almost sack” jokes in 2025 because so many of his pressures failed to bring down the quarterback; he’ll seek a bounce-back campaign in 2026, at least for the sack numbers. All the rest of the stats for Greenard were top-notch.
Look for Minnesota to add $23 million to $25 million to Greenard’s deal, likely spreading the money out over future years.
Star Tribune‘sBen Goessling wrote about Greenard’s contract this week, “Greenard is coming off shoulder surgery, and given how important he’s been to the Vikings’ defense, it seems unlikely the team would release him when he’s still only 28.”
“They’d save $12.25 million if they released him before a $4 million base salary guarantee on March 13. Given the fact he’s got two void years on his deal, it’s possible the Vikings would convert part of his $18.39 million base salary into a signing bonus to lower his cap hit for 2026. Doing so would save them up to $12.96 million.”
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3. Brian O’Neill (RT)
O’Neill will probably encounter a similar fate to Greenard.
Minnesota may restructure his contract and add $20 million per year in guaranteed money. Considering performance and durability, O’Neill is the Vikings’ single-most effective lineman and has arguably held that title for seven seasons.
He’s 31, so he’s not bursting with youth. But the league’s best offensive tackles can play well into their 30s, and fans should expect that for O’Neill.
Minnesota will almost assuredly re-do O’Neill’s deal; adding more money only seems fair, as O’Neill is tentatively slated to test free agency in 2027.
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4. Jay Ward (S)
Ward balled out when afforded the opportunity last year. He was a rookie in 2023, meaning the upcoming season will be the final year of his deal. He’s done enough to merit a modest extension. He hits hard and represents youthful pop that Minnesota needs.
Our Kyle Joudry recently noted on Ward, “Lining up directly across from a shifty, explosive receiver isn’t for the faint of heart. Making a mistake is incredibly easy to see, even for an untrained eye. Ward’s capacity to get over the top of a receiver’s toes before then traveling with the receiver down the field is to be valued even if he’s not a shutdown option out there.”
“Consider, as well, being the deep safety. Being tall and having long arms helps — game of inches, right? — since there’s a greater chance of swatting deep passes away. Again, though, there’s the blatantly-obvious possibility of losing the rep. Any deep safety who gets beat deep is bound to get an earful from a coach (or two) alongside the scorn from onlookers.”
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Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward aligns near the sideline on Sep 14, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the defense prepares for the snap in a primetime contest. Ward tracks the formation and settles into coverage responsibilities against the Eagles’ motion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
Too, down the stretch of 2025, defensive coordinator Brian Flores seemed to prefer Ward in the lineup over fellow safety Theo Jackson.
Joudry added, “Seeing Ward prove capable of doing both — being a corner and a safety — is encouraging, especially within a Brian Flores defense that’s predicated on disguise, chaos, and being unpredictable.”
Ward will turn 26 this summer. Now’s the time to explore his second contract. He won’t break the bank.
The great Olympic curling controversy continues to swirl at Milano Cortina 2026.
There were several developments on Sunday in the issue that stemmed from a Swedish accusation of Canada third Marc Kennedy ‘double-touching’ third rocks on release in a game on Friday. It resulted in a profanity-laced argument between Kennedy and Swedish third Oskar Eriksson during the ninth-end break.
World Curling announced Saturday it would have two umpires move between all four sheets to observe deliveries for the rest of the event, and also issued a verbal warning to Canada for language use.
But after two draws on Sunday, World Curling has decided to change its stance, again, on the umpiring front.
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“This change in protocol will see the two umpires who had previously been actively monitoring athlete deliveries remain available in the field of play, but will now only monitor athlete deliveries at the request of the competing teams.
“The umpires when requested will monitor deliveries for a minimum of three ends.”
That decision was made after two stones in separate games were removed over the past 24 hours by officials.
First, Canadian women’s skip Rachel Homan had a stone removed for a double-touch violation in the first end of her game against Switzerland on Saturday.
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Rule R.5 (d) of the rule book states:“The curling stone must be delivered using the handle of the stone.”
Homan was livid after the call and blasted officials after the extra-end loss.
On Sunday morning, Great Britain’s Bobby Lammie had his first stone removed in the ninth end in a game versus Germany. The Brits didn’t put up a fight, but Lammie appeared stunned and he made sure he let go well of his rock well before the hog line on his next shot.
Curling Canada, meanwhile, seems to be avoiding a potential fight over another part of the story.
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After the Canadian and Swedish men’s teams traded verbal shots following the feisty Friday game, Canada’s men’s team coach Paul Webster added more fuel to the fire on Saturday when he told reporters there were Swedish staff and fans in position at the hog line to film releases. Sweden denied that accusation.
Curling Canada put out a statement on Sunday, saying it will not be “pursuing sanctions for potential illegal filming.
“We will concentrate on competing on the field of play and not the extracurriculars,” the statement, provided to Sportsnet, said. “Our focus is to protect and support our athletes, so they can compete to the best of their abilities for themselves, their teammates, their families and all of Canada who is proud of them.”
Outside the curling venue, two Canadian reporters asked questions about the curling controversy Sunday at the IOC’s general daily press conference, where discussion often is dominated by political issues.
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IOC spokesperson Mark Adams was asked if he had heard about Canadian concerns about Swedish video prior to the Curling Canada statement being released.
“If they want to make a complaint, they should go to the federation (World Curling),” Adams said. “The federations runs the rules of the competition and then we’ll take it from there. But that’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
Sydney colt Sixties highlighted his Australian Guineas prospects during Saturday’s $200,000 C S Hayes Stakes at Flemington in 2026, sealing a quartet of wins for elite rider Damian Lane.
The Chris Waller-prepared colt dominated his Group 3 rivals across 1400 metres, powering home despite racing three-wide exposed to the breeze for the duration, extending his winning streak after a fresh-up victory in provincial class at Rosehill on January 31.
Lane’s success on Sixties came shortly after his masterclass on Tentyris in the premier attraction, the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning, complemented by prior Listed conquests with Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.
“It’s a good time to be coming right,” Lane said.
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“There’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes. I have to thank my family, (wife) Bonnie and (son) Charlie, they’re a big support at home.
My manager Dean Hawkes, he does a good job of organising rides and the rest of it comes down to grafting really, working hard to find the opportunities to be in the right spot at the right time.”
Sixties ($1.60 fav) shrugged off his demanding run to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Asakura ($5.50), as Beyond Question at $31 trailed by a further 1-1/2 lengths for third.
By Flying Artie and brother to Artorius, Sixties sits at $3.50 second favourite to Observer ($2.50) in markets for the February 28 1600m Group 1 Australian Guineas back at Flemington, where Lane expects him to perform well given several C S Hayes Stakes participants are entered.
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“He had lengths on them (today), full credit to him. He’s a lovely animal,” Lane said.
For those eyeing the C S Hayes Stakes form heading into bigger targets, the leading online bookmakers offer great value on related races.
Lane shared the glory of multiple wins, joined by young star Luke Cartwright who piloted Tarvue and Perilous Fighter to early successes.
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
