The New England Patriots are the Manchester United of the NFL world.

Led by head coach Bill Belichick, the Sir Alex Ferguson of American football, and quarterback Tom Brady, NFL’s version of Ryan Giggs, the Patriots have been the dominant force in the league for the best part of 20 years.

Since selecting Brady with the 199^th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, New England have reached the Super Bowl on nine occasions.

There have only been 19 Super Bowl matches during that period, meaning the Patriots have played in 50% of the Super Bowls during the Brady-Belichick era.

Furthermore, New England have won six of those games, most recently in 2019. It wasn’t a classic for neutrals but Patriots fans didn’t care; that 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams will live long in the memory.

Could New England reach the NFL showpiece in 2020? It would be foolish to write the Patriots off…

Fans of the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets have had to sit back and watch the Patriots dominate the AFC East for the best part of 20 years – it can’t have been easy.

Since the start of the 2001 season, New England have been crowned division champions an incredible 16 times.

Belichick has seen Dolphins, Bills and Jets coaches come and go over the years but nothing has changed the general outlook of the AFC East.

New England are always well backed to go on and retain the divisional title at the beginning of each season and NFL betting odds for the Patriots are never great for punters.

The Patriots mentality is arguably their greatest strength of all. Instilled in the entire roster from day one, New England believe strongly in a ‘next man up’ policy.

If a player goes down hurt, the Patriots are well equipped to cope through astute coaching and smart play-calling. An injury to Brady is perhaps the only exception to that particular rule.

New England have had some of the most talented players in NFL history over the years, with the likes of Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski and Vince Wilfork wreaking havoc on both sides of the ball.

The Patriots front office is arguably the smartest in the NFL and every decision is made with the team’s best interests at heart.

That is another area where the Patriots have a clear advantage. New England take emotion out of decisions and Belichick isn’t afraid to make tough calls if it is going to prove beneficial for the team.

Brady has been untouchable for most of his NFL career but you feel Belichick would give the green light to move on if needs be.

It looked like the Patriots could go undefeated in 2019 entering Week 7 but things haven’t exactly gone to plan for New England in recent weeks.

The Patriots were disappointing in the 37-20 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in November while they struggled to keep tabs on the Houston Texans in their latest NFL loss.

However, like elite teams in every sport, they always find a way to win. Whether plagued by injuries or facing a playoff contender in a tough road game, New England usually come up trumps.

As long as the Belichick-Brady combination reigns supreme, the Patriots will always be in the Super Bowl reckoning.

Love them or hate them, you have to respect them. The Patriots have helped to mould the modern-day NFL and American football fans have been lucky to live through a special era for the sport.

New England’s dominance won’t last forever though; so let’s enjoy them while we can – the sands of time are running out for Brady and Belichick.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Elise Amendola / AP Photo*

Heavyweight boxing is a thrilling spectacle. Fighters can land a knockout blow at any given moment and millions of people around the world tune in for the biggest heavyweight bouts.

That will be no different on December 7^th when Anthony Joshua faces Andy Ruiz Jr in the ‘Battle of the Dunes’. With so much hype surrounding the rematch, boxing fans could be treated to a memorable night of boxing action.

Ahead of that battle, we looked at the some of the most memorable heavyweight fights in the history of boxing. Let’s start with Muhammad Ali’s first clash with Joe Frazier in 1971…

 

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier (1971)

This fight set the stage for the entire Ali-Frazier trilogy. This bout marked the first time ever that two undefeated heavyweight champions would fight for the title – something had to give and ‘The Fight’, one of boxing's greatest rematches, would certainly live up to the hype.

Ali got through more work in the earlier rounds and he was strictly all business, with next to no dancing around the ring. However, Frazier was incredibly tough and he focused primarily on Ali’s body, which turned out to be an excellent plan of attack in the later rounds.

Frazier landed a huge left hook in the 15^th round and, while Ali got to his feet and made the count, that proved decisive as he was awarded the win by unanimous decision. The great Muhammad Ali had fallen for the first time but boxing fans knew that he would be back to fight another day.

This was the beginning of a very special heavyweight rivalry…

 

Jack Dempsey vs Luis Firpo (1923)

You’ll be hard pressed to find a bout with more action than this fight. With a grand total of 11 knockdowns in less than four minutes, this is the most dramatic boxing match of all-time. You’d have got good boxing betting odds on that many knockdowns in a fight…

In modern day boxing, this fight would’ve almost certainly been stopped after Firpo was knocked down for the third time in the space of a round. However, he made the count on all three occasions before finding a new lease of life after his fifth (yes, FIFTH) knockdown.

Neither fighter was concentrating on defence – it was all about being on the front foot. An eighth knockdown for Firpo in the opening round wasn’t enough to stop him and he got back up in an incredible show of defiance.

However, all of those knockdowns took their toll in the end as Dempsey claimed a victory in the second round. This fight remains unique to this day and it will never be matched.

 

Rocky Marciano vs Joe Walcott (1952)

Marciano was the challenger entering this fight but most boxing fans believed that he was going to win. However, Walcott started quickly and put Marciano on the canvas in the first round. Anyone who thought Marciano would cruise to victory was wrong.

Marciano started to come into his own midway through the third round but Walcott battled back to dominate the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds. The 10^th round was pivotal, Walcott had Marciano shaking but the youngster hung in there to get to the end of the round.

Walcott was ahead on the judges’ scorecards but things were about to change. The fate of the heavyweight title shifted in the 13^th round, with Marciano landing a perfect right hand to clinch the win.

It was a huge moment in the heavyweight division at the time, with the victory helping to coin the term “championship rounds” for the final three rounds of a boxing match.

 

Larry Holmes vs Ken Norton (1978)

The 1970s were dominated by the Ali-Frazier trilogy but it would be foolish to ignore this bout. Norton and Holmes were widely regarded as ‘sub par’ fighters at the time but this fight would change the perception of both men – it was an all-time great bout.

Norton, who had lost to Ali two years prior to this contest, started slowly but found his feet midway through the bout. As the fight approached the 12^th round, Holmes had a slight lead on scorecards but the fight was about to really take off with just three rounds remaining.

Holmes dominated the 13^th round before Norton responded with his best round of the fight in the 14^th. The 15^th and final round consisted of both fighters landing huge punches in the centre of the ring.

It was a fantastic way to end the fight, with Holmes edging a split decision after a real war of attrition in Las Vegas.

 

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier (1975)

With the series level at one win apiece, Ali and Frazier went toe-to-toe for one final time in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’. Ali dominated the early stages of the fight but Frazier got going in the middle rounds and Ali soon found himself under serious pressure.

According to reports, Ali claimed that it was “the closest thing to death” that he had ever experienced. Things didn’t get any easier for Ali until the start of the 12^th round, with the former Olympic gold medalist finding a second wind in the latter stages of the bout.

Ali dug deep and showed incredible resolve and determination to get himself back in the fight. After two very one-sided rounds, Frazier’s trainer Eddie Futch threw in the towel as Ali retained the title.

This wasn’t the usual showboating Ali but one that confirmed his status as an all-time heavyweight superstar.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to AP Photo*

After 60 memorable years the Hennessy Gold Cup, one of the biggest races of the year, became the less memorably named Ladbrokes Trophy two years ago. This iconic race is the highlight of the second day of the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival which starts on Friday.

In its previous incarnation as the Hennessy Gold Cup, racing legends such as Arkle, Mill House, Burrough Hill Lad and more recently Denman all wrote their legacies at Newbury in November.

In 2018, trainer Colin Tizzard enjoyed a 1-2 in the race after his Sizing Tennessee (12/1) ran out an impressive winner over his stablemate Elegant Escape (4/1).

 

Important Trends & Statistics:

Age

The breakdown of winners by age is as follows:  6yo – 12, 7yo – 24, 8yo – 12, 9yo – 10, 10yo – 3, 11yo – 1.

Price

The longest-priced winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy was Sibton Abbey, a 40/1 outsider in 1992, while the shortest-priced was Arkle who justified odds of 1/6 in 1965.

Here is your runner-by-runner guide to the maximum field of 24 runners.

 

Elegant Escape

The former Welsh Grand National winner finished the runner up in this last year and ran well on his seasonal reappearance behind Ballyoptic in the Charlie Hall Chase.

He’s a thoroughly dour stayer but will have it all to do under top-weight here.

Beware The Bear

He finished fourth last year in this very race before going on to score at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, then returned there in March to take the Ultima Chase at The Festival.

The Grand National will probably be his main target this year but he looks well overpriced in this.

Brave Eagle

Two from two so far this season, but whether or not those summer victories will stand up in this kind of company remains to be seen.

Great trainer but the seven-year-old will probably be found wanting in this grade.

Yala Enki

The nine-year-old stays longer than the mother-in-law and has recently been switched to Paul Nicholls after a fair degree of success with Venetia Williams.

He has had a wind-op over the summer and he looks to have a great each-way chance.

Yorkhill

A four-time Grade One winner but somewhat of an enigma throughout his racing career with Willie Mullins.

Many of the Mullins-trained old-timers have bounced back recently but Yorkhill looks like the second string today.

Robinsfirth

He is very lightly raced for a ten-year-old because he has clearly had some problems along the way.  When he does race, he’s decent, as his two victories at Haydock last season so proved.

Runs well fresh and has many similar attributes to other surprise winners trained by Colin Tizzard.

OK Corral

Well fancied for last season’s National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham but unfortunately he never figured due to the after-effects of a flu vaccination.

Looked like a smart recruit to fences last term but his odds are rather cramped for his seasonal return.

Mister Malarky

Plenty of money has come for the Colin Tizzard-trained runner in the horse racing betting this week, but he will have to put a disappointing effort at Ascot last time behind him.

Man-of-the-moment Robbie Power rides West Approach which says a lot to me.

On The Blind Side

His fourth behind Vinndication on his Ascot comeback looks like there is plenty to build upon this season.

He is definitely one of the likelier Henderson-trained horses that could win this.

De Rasher Counter

There will be plenty of people pinning their hopes on this seven-year-old bringing home the bacon on Saturday afternoon.

He’s had a blow out over hurdles to warm up for this and is probably one of Emma Lavelle’s best chasers in training.

Le Musee

A versatile performer over various codes but has probably done all his winning for 2019 now.

Put his 2019 season on the museum shelf now.

Daklondike

An out-and-out stayer but he probably needs it much heavier and an even further trip to be seen at his best.

Not today – look elsewhere.

Borice

French import who has enjoyed a wonderful summer, winning three times in all, including the Galway Plate.

There have to be question marks over the ground with him here so he’s a pass for me.

Cabaret Queen

Cabaret Queen warmed up for a tilt at this race with a dominant victory in the Munster National at Limerick and there is every chance she can progress again.

Of the favourites, she looks the one with the best chance.

Two Taffs

He ran a blinder at Wetherby over hurdles last time after a prolonged period on the sidelines and has good form on the book.

He may well “bounce” but is certainly one to bear in mind.

Dingo Dollar

Dingo Dollar finished a decent third in this race last year and has had an identical prep run this time around.

His trainer Alan King is very shrewd and the seven-year-old will be on many a shortlist.

West Approach

Impressively overhauled the long time leader Achille up the hill at Cheltenham a fortnight ago and could go well again.

Robbie Power takes the ride which may be a tip in itself.

Some Chaos

He returns to chasing after a spin over the hurdles at Cheltenham and ranks as an interesting outsider in this field.

Michael Scudamore has done well with his chasers in recent weeks and he shouldn’t be underestimated.

Joe Farrell

Winner of the Scottish Grand National in 2018 and put in a cracking performance at Chepstow last time, form which has been franked by Perfect Candidate’s (fourth) victory since.

Don’t write this veteran chaser off just yet.

Regal Encore

Ran well behind Vinndication at Ascot but his long term target is next April’s Grand National.

He should enjoy a nice and peaceful pop around.

Shantou Village

He has failed to complete in his last three runs and has never won beyond 2m 7f.

He’s certainly no Sibton Abbey in my opinion.

Walt

Winner of our very own 888Sport Handicap Chase at Kempton in February, beating a decent field in the process. Won last time out at Taunton and is clearly in good heart.

Has to be worth 50p e/w of anybody’s money!

The Conditional

Defeated West Approach on just his second start after joining David Bridgwater at Cheltenham and runs here off a very favourable weight.

The upward curve may just continue on.

Commodore

Venetia Williams is no stranger to having winners in the month of November as the form books allude to and she is represented by the lightly-raced French import Commodore here.

Expect a bold show from the front from this grey gelding.

Ladbrokes Trophy: Prediction

I have been a big fan of Yala Enki for many seasons now and I believe Paul Nicholls will have the Gold Cup seventh primed to perfection for this race.

The Neil Mulholland-trained Walt is unlikely to be on many people’s betting radar on Saturday and should run a nice race after getting in at the foot of the handicap.

Be sure to check out all the Newbury horse racing results on our website throughout the course of Saturday afternoon.

888Sport suggests: Yala Enki & Walt (e/w).

The final Grand Prix of the 2019 Formula One season takes place this weekend at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes secured their titles a few weeks ago, and a fortnight prior to the teams arriving in Abu Dhabi, a phenomenal race took place at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen finished first, Pierre Gasly got an emotional, and improbable, second. The two Ferraris crashed into each other on a straight, leading to a team inquest.

Drivers’ and Constructors’ honours aren’t at stake, but this will still be a fiercely competitive Grand Prix. Let’s take a look at some history before focusing on this weekend’s Formula One tips and odds…

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Brief History

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix arrived on the Formula One calendar in the summer of 2008. With the schedule released for 2009, the Grand Prix was set to become the first day-night race in Formula One history as the season finale in mid-November.

However, the plans changed a few months later with the inaugural race moved to 1st November. Every Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been a day-night race, starting at 5pm local time.

Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel dominated the early races at Yas Marina, winning in 2009 and 2010.

The first of which was a dead rubber, but the 2010 race was a title decider on the final weekend of the season. Vettel’s victory secured the championship ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Moving to the penultimate slot for 2011, Lewis Hamilton claimed victory after Vettel retired with a puncture.

Kimi Raikkonen won ahead of Alonso and Vettel in 2012 – Vettel stood atop the podium for a third time in 2013 after Red Bull and the German had secured their fourth consecutive titles in India.

Mercedes have controlled the race in the recent seasons. Nico Rosberg won his first and only drivers’ title in 2016 despite a Hamilton victory and Valtteri Bottas won in 2017. The 2018 edition was famous for being Alonso’s final race in Formula One.

The Yas Marina Circuit

It isn’t the first time Hermann Tilke has appeared in this section. The 64-year-old German has designed many Formula One circuits, including Sochi and the Hanoi Street Circuit, which is due to host its inaugural race in 2020.

Hosted on Yas Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, Tilke designed Yas Marina as a challenging track with 21 corners with a few straights mixed in.

Rosberg praised the track back in 2009, claiming that every turn was ‘unique’. Alonso was similarly complimentary, and the lighting at Yas Marina has been popular with many drivers, particularly when compared to Marina Bay in Singapore.

One main criticism of the track would be the lack of overtaking opportunities other than the two DRS sections. Alonso suffered from this when he was stuck behind Vitaly Petrov in 2010, unable to find a passing spot.

The lap is split into three very different sections. Sector one has high-speed corners; sector two has two lengthy straights and heavy breaking zones; sector three is the tightest part of the lap, featuring slow corners and has drawn comparisons to the harbour section in Monaco.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Tips

Pirelli have brought the softest tyre compounds to Abu Dhabi. That’s no surprise, considering this has usually been a one-stop race with very little tyre degradation.

It’s a tough weekend to predict, such is the varied nature of the lap. Ferrari’s raw power will benefit them in sector two, for instance, but they could lose considerable time to the Red Bulls and Mercedes in sector three.

Ferrari, who have held clear the air talks this week, will be looking to build bridges between their two drivers after the humiliating end to their weekend at Interlagos. Charles Leclerc looks a great bet at 2/1 to take pole in 888sport’s F1 betting.

For all the glitz and glamour of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the plush hotels, the theme parks and incredible photography, the track hasn’t tended to provide us with much drama.

A repeat of Brazil is improbable, though the midfield contest will be interesting as Racing Point and Alfa Romeo battle for seventh and Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz fight it out to finish best of the rest.

Albon has been tipped frequently in these previews and after a heart-breaking collision with Hamilton in Brazil, he could get some backing at 9/2 to finish on the podium.

Hamilton is edging closer to history – the Brit could be 12 months from matching Michael Schumacher – but he doesn’t offer much value at 8/5 to win this Sunday.

The Mercedes couldn’t keep up with the Red Bull in Brazil, and despite dominating in Abu Dhabi over the last few years, they are unlikely to have the quickest car this weekend.

Ferrari to win the race at 7/4 is the best bet. Their pace has been superb (bar the US Grand Prix) since the break, and their advantage on the straights should give them enough of a lead to hold off the Red Bulls and Mercedes.