Owner Audrey Turley paid a heartfelt tribute to Galopin Des Champs after the superstar chaser’s retirement was confirmed on Thursday.

The Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old will go down as one of the most popular National Hunt horses of recent times, with his haul of 12 Grade One victories including back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cup wins in 2023 and 2024 and a hat-trick of Irish Gold Cups between 2023 and 2025.

He was beaten into third place when bidding for a fourth Irish Gold Cup win in February and that proved to be his final career start as he was ruled out of a sixth appearance at the Cheltenham Festival in March after suffering a setback.

In all Galopin Des Champs won 15 of his 26 career outings and Turley, who ran the black gelding together with her husband, Greg, will always cherish memories that will last a lifetime.

Turley told the Press Association: “We’ve had the best time of our lives, we really have.

“We never thought this would happen to us. We’ve had the most wonderful time.”

When asked if one day stood out above the rest, she said: “Three Irish Gold Cups and the two at Cheltenham, it’s hard to pick out one. Every time it was just a wonderful surprise, it was just magnificent.

“I don’t know if I could say one day, maybe the first Cheltenham Gold Cup as that was just extraordinary – like something out of a dream, the joy it brought.

“The other day was in Leopardstown when he won the third (Irish) Gold Cup. Everybody was singing, ‘ole, ole, ole’ and that just made the hair stand up on the back of our necks.

“People love him and we still have people coming up on Instagram and TikTok saying, ‘we miss him, we miss him’. He was so well loved and deserved to be loved, he was just wonderful.

“Everybody did take to him and he was an unassuming character really when you think of it, but he just loved it – I think he enjoyed every bit of it himself.”

Turley revealed Galopin Des Champs could now embark on a second career in the equestrian sphere, adding: “He’s actually gone over to Ruby Walsh’s family and his daughter Isabelle is going to see what he does in that arena, so we’ll see if something happens out of that.

“They’ll retrain him and see what happens. If he likes it he can do it, if he doesn’t we’ll have another plan and that’s the way it is – it’s all about him, whatever he wants to do.

“He’ll only be 11 next year and he’s still looking fantastic.”

While Galopin Des Champs will never again carry the Turley’s yellow and brown silks, they have several high-class prospects to look forward to including King Rasko Grey, who provided them with another Cheltenham Festival success in last season’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

“King Rasko Grey has just come back in from the summer and is looking fantastic, so we have high hopes for him,” Turley added.

“He did so well in Cheltenham obviously and he’s looking like a good horse. He has very big boots to fill, but we won’t have another Galopin – he’s one of a kind, a diamond. We’ll enjoy it whatever happens.”

Our top tipster Lewis Jones, aka Jones Knows, was in flying form last weekend – can he repeat the trick?

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City, Friday 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Marc Guehi has been fouled 43 times in his last 17 matches for club and country, with opponents committing two or more fouls on him in 10 of those games. That is a hit rate of 59 per cent – comfortably above the probability implied by the 5/4 with Sky Bet, which makes this a value play.

The eye test backs it up, too. Guehi is far more comfortable carrying the ball into traffic than he was 12 months ago. He invites challenges, shields possession brilliantly and has become increasingly clever at using defenders’ momentum against them.

Now add the Selhurst Park factor. This is Guehi’s first return to his former club since joining Manchester City and it would be no surprise if the Palace crowd and players make him feel the heat. There is a target on his back here.

Also, Enzo Maresca surprisingly used Guehi in central midfield against Bournemouth. If he starts there again, this bet becomes even more appealing.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Marc Guehi to be fouled +2 times (5/4 with Sky Bet)

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 12:30pm

There is an expectation of attacking football at Anfield, particularly with Liverpool’s new-look side and the attacking reputation of their new manager Andoni Iraola. But I think the goals market is asking Forest to contribute more than they have shown any evidence of doing so far under Oliver Glasner.

They have failed to score in both games against Leeds, producing just 1.4 expected goals across 180 minutes. The lack of cutting edge has been worrying.

Glasner has pointed to the upheaval he inherited, key departures and the limited time he has had to implement his ideas. This project may take time.

And there is a fascinating historical pointer. Glasner’s teams have struggled to create against Iraola’s sides, failing to score in four of the five meetings.

That’s why backing under 2.5 goals at 5/4 with Sky Bet rates as a value play.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Under 2.5 goals (5/4 with Sky Bet)

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring against Crystal Palace landed in last week’s column – and I’m sticking with him at 4/1 with Sky Bet to go in again.

Why? Because I don’t think we should be viewing him as a midfielder anymore.

Against Palace, he played in that advanced No 10 role and looked a genuine goal threat, scoring with a superb left-footed finish after arriving inside the box. He had three shots, one on target and four touches in the opposition penalty area.

He then had seven shots in midweek against Preston.

Yes, the opposition was Championship rather than Premier League quality and Everton won 4-0 but it confirmed something I saw against Palace that Dewsbury-Hall has been given licence to attack.

He’s not simply making the occasional late run from midfield. He’s playing alongside Thierno Barry, finding pockets between midfield and defence and getting into positions where he can finish moves himself.

Bournemouth should provide him with opportunities to do that again.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Coventry vs Hull, Saturday 3pm

There is something rather appealing about backing goals when two promoted sides meet this early in a Premier League season. For starters, the last 36 fixtures of this nature has seen over 1.5 goals hit on 35 occasions.

Also, the last five newly-promoted teams to play their first home game of the season have won it, so history is certainly pointing towards a positive afternoon for Coventry. But Frank Lampard’s side have some defensive issues to iron out after Arsenal exposed them in a 3-0 defeat on the opening weekend before conceding two at Plymouth in the Carabao Cup.

Hull, meanwhile, could hardly have made a better start. They stunned Manchester United 2-0 last weekend, showing the aggression, organisation and set-piece threat that could make them awkward opponents for plenty of teams this season.

There is also a betting-system angle that makes me reluctant to write off the visitors. A one-unit stake on Hull whenever they have started a game bigger than 2/1 since the beginning of last season would have returned a £34.96 profit. That includes away wins at Millwall twice, Middlesbrough and, most impressively, United last weekend.

The safer route is to take the result out of the question and both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at Evens with Sky Bet.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2

Tottenham vs Newcastle United, Saturday 5:30pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

There are times in betting when you have to decide whether a bad performance is a warning sign or a price-making opportunity.

I’m leaning towards the latter with Tottenham.

The 3-0 defeat at Brentford was awful. There is no dressing it up. Spurs looked disjointed, physically behind the game and defensively vulnerable, while Roberto De Zerbi admitted afterwards that his side were “not a team” yet.

But I’m prepared to give them another chance.

De Zerbi has an excellent record in the game immediately following a defeat of three or more goals, winning eight of 11 such matches, with his teams averaging 2.1 goals. That’s a big enough sample to make me sit up as Tottenham are available at 6/5 with Sky Bet. It’s a bet.

There were mitigating circumstances at Brentford, too.

Spurs had five competitive debutants in their starting XI, while Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro were unavailable and several players had either returned late from the World Cup or endured disrupted pre-seasons.

It doesn’t excuse the performance, but it does suggest that some of what went wrong is fixable.

And there is now a sense of the cavalry returning.

I’m not suddenly convinced Spurs are back to being the team many expected them to be before a ball was kicked. But the home win price looks quite tasty at odds-against as this feels like a classic reaction game for De Zerbi and Tottenham.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1

Chelsea vs Brighton, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Chelsea just might have the best attack in the Premier League. Monday’s night win at Fulham got tongues wagging on that front.

It was aggressive. It was vertical. And it was quite chaotic.

Xabi Alonso used Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers operating behind João Pedro. The trio combined for all three Chelsea goals and Alonso subsequently described them as central to what he is building. They were electric.

However, Chelsea conceded twice as Robert Sánchez made another costly error and Fulham had opportunities to punish a defence that looked vulnerable when Chelsea’s aggressive shape was exposed. That lack of defensive cohesion stems from the lack of authority from the goalkeeper.

Are Chelsea now structurally a team capable of producing these types of matches regularly? I’d be confident of that answer being yes, meaning there is value in backing their games to be high scoring before the market full adjusts.

Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score should be a staple Chelsea bet to follow in the coming weeks, starting here at 4/5 with Sky Bet.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Over 2.5 goals & both teams to score (4/5 with Sky Bet)

Leeds vs Brentford, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Brentford fired in 26 shots and registered an expected goals total of 3.87 last weekend – it was the highest xG of the opening weekend.

However, the Bees aren’t the same animal on the road to the extent they’ve only averaged 1.15 goals per game under Keith Andrews. One of those was this corresponding fixture last season which ended 0-0 – a game which bored everyone to tears. It was football as a form of punishment for those watching. Neither side created a big chance and the combined xG was just 0.98. The ultimate stalemate.

There is something about this fixture that makes me think we could be in for another game where both managers are more interested in avoiding defeat than throwing bodies forward. The draw and under 2.5 goals is 100/30 with Sky Bet and that’s a price worth respecting.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Sunderland vs Fulham, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Everyone quite rightly came away from Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to Chelsea talking about Cole Palmer.

But what about Josh King?

The Fulham teenager was not too far behind Palmer in the wow-factor stakes.

King scored Fulham’s first goal at Craven Cottage. He finished the game with three shots, two on target and was a constant threat for a Fulham side that looked dangerous in transition. This wasn’t a case of a young player popping up in the right place once and taking advantage. King was Fulham’s key man in attack. He looked willing to carry the ball, take responsibility and get shots away.

The market is still treating him like an emerging youngster rather than someone who can genuinely be one of Fulham’s primary attacking outlets.

The 9/2 for King to score with Sky Bet therefore looks interesting in what looks a very tough clash to call.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Manchester United vs Ipswich, Sunday 4:30pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

You don’t have to convince me twice to back a set-piece angle.

Manchester United won just 42 per cent of their duels in their 2-0 defeat to Hull – the lowest figure recorded by any Premier League team on the opening weekend. That lack of physical bite is a concern in a league where you simply cannot afford to be second best in the fundamentals.

Since Michael Carrick took charge, United have conceded 20 Premier League goals in 18 matches – 10 of them from set plays. That’s an extraordinary ratio. Only Bournemouth and Leeds have conceded a higher proportion of their goals from set-pieces during that period.

And Hull provided the perfect example of how to exploit it, scoring both goals from dead-ball situations in their stunning victory at Old Trafford.

So why should we expect Ipswich to be any different?

Dara O’Shea is the first-contact man on set pieces for Town and averaged 0.95 shots per 90 over the last 12 months. That’s a great number for a defender and tells us something about how aggressive Ipswich are in targeting him. He is Evens for at least one shot and 18/1 to score with Sky Bet.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Dara O’Shea +1 shots (Evens with Sky Bet)

Aston Villa vs Arsenal, Monday 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Christos Tzolis looks like fun.

The new signing from Club Brugge hit the ground running, producing a direct, fearless performance on his Premier League debut in the win over Coventry. He was constantly looking to attack his man, drive into dangerous areas and get shots away.

He finished with four shots and eight touches in the opposition box – more than any Arsenal player on both counts.

And at 15/8 with Sky Bet to score in a game Arsenal are taken to win, he rates as a player to consider.

Also, Matty Cash is 11/4 to be booked with Sky Bet. That’s a great bet. Why? Because he looks likely to have the job of dealing with Tzolis.

And that could be an uncomfortable mission for a player who was carded 12 times last season.

The Greek winger brings an excellent card-drawing record from his time at Club Brugge, drawing a card every 206 minutes. That’s a very healthy strike-rate.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2

Jones Knows’ best bets…

• 1pt on Marc Guehi to be fouled +2 times (5/4 with Sky Bet)
• 1pt on under 2.5 goals in Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest (5/4 with Sky Bet)
• 1pt on over 2.5 goals & both teams to score in Chelsea vs Brighton (4/5 with Sky Bet)
• 1pt on Dara O’Shea +1 shot (Evens with Sky Bet)

BUFFALO, NY — The quarterback debate that has dominated the Steelers’ preseason appears to be resolved, but a new question has emerged ahead of Sunday’s cutdown day.

The Steelers are fully prepared to keep all four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. While it’s unorthodox, the team wants to retain Mason Rudolph as the primary backup to Aaron Rodgers to give themselves the best chance to win in this window. At the same time, they plan to keep Will Howard (who was evaluated for a head injury after the game) and Drew Allar as developmental pieces. A sentiment that’s held throughout the organization was underscored by the head coach after the game.

“I think that’s a very accurate evaluation on your part,” Mike McCarthy said when asked if he has four QBs who have earned roster spots. “I feel good about the quarterback room. I’ve been saying it for quite some time. They’ve showed it on the field. We’ve got two veterans that we can win with, and we’ve got two young guys that we’re really excited about their future.”

The uncertainty lies with Joey Porter Jr. He’s spent the preseason on the physically unable to perform list with what the team is terming a back injury. He’s also seeking a new contract. McCarthy said earlier this week that the team is at an “impasse” in negotiations. Now, decision time is coming. By 6 p.m. on Sunday, the team has two options: Activate Porter off of the PUP list or he’ll have to remain on the reserve/PUP list for at least the first four regular-season games.

“I know he had an excellent workout today,” McCarthy said. “I know that he was back (in Pittsburgh) part of that group today.”

Porter is under contract for the final year of his rookie contract. The team also has leverage, as they can use the franchise tag on him in 2027 and 2028. The Steelers have a long-standing policy that they do not negotiate contracts during the season. While the organization doesn’t appear optimistic that a deal will get done before Sept. 13, deadlines can sometimes bring two sides together. In the shorter term, the first deadline to watch is on Sunday.

That’s the reporting part of this story. Now onto the informed speculation, as we take a look at the rest of the projected 53-man roster:

Offense: 26

Quarterbacks (4): Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Drew Allar

It’s been an up-and-down preseason for Howard. On Thursday, the second-year pro helped the team score two touchdowns on short fields but also took three sacks and threw an interception on a miscommunication. If Howard or Allar is going to be the QB of the future, both will need varying degrees of development. Agree or disagree, expect the Steelers to keep both to give themselves that opportunity.

Running backs (3): Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer
Notable cuts: Kaleb Johnson, Lew Nichols, Eli Heidenreich

Nichols continued to make this competition interesting, showing his quick first step and vision. He carried the ball seven times for 40 yards. If the Steelers want the better offensive player, he’s the guy. Given the quality of the top two backs, I think they’ll lean special teams and go with Homer, while stashing Nichols on the practice squad.

Fullback (1): Riley Nowakowski

The fullback may be going extinct elsewhere in the NFL, but it’s still a valuable part of McCarthy’s offense. Nowakowski’s special-teams value and positional flexibility should help him make the team.

Tight end (3): Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Robert Tonyan

Tonyan has enjoyed a strong preseason and has a long-standing relationship with Rodgers. On a night when most roster locks sat out, the veteran tight end didn’t play. That feels noteworthy.

Wide receivers (6): DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Ben Skowronek, Kaden Wetjen
Notable cuts: Max Hurleman, Brandon Smith

Bernard wasn’t able to showcase his run-after-catch ability during a non-tackling training camp. It was on display again against the Bills, as he evaded a few tackles on the way to the end zone. The competition for the WR3 spot will be ongoing. Deeper on the depth chart, Wetjen returned a punt for a touchdown. His job was almost certainly already safe because of his draft position in the fourth round and role as the primary returner in all situations. The other note from this group: Skowronek left the game early with a trainer. While he walked off the field under his own power and is a battle-tested player, it’s still something to monitor.

Offensive line (9): Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Brock Hoffman, Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones, Gennings Dunker
IR candidate: Jack Driscoll
Notable cuts: C Ryan McCollum, G Doug Nester

It would be a lot to expect Max Iheanachor to be perfect in his first preseason game — and he wasn’t, allowing a sack. However, it was a positive development to see him on the field after missing several weeks with an undisclosed upper body injury. Meanwhile, the time that Jones missed due to injury is evident. Still, he likely will make the team. McCollum could be one of the tough cuts, with Hoffman serving as the primary backup at guard and center.

Defense: 24

Cornerbacks (6): Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols, Daylen Everette
Notable cuts: Doneiko Slaughter

The contract negotiations between Porter and the Steelers have grown contentious, but missing four games would deal a significant blow to the team. Knowing the Steelers don’t negotiate in-season, would there really be anything to gain by staying on PUP? I’ll currently project Porter will be removed from PUP and placed on the 53-man roster, but it does appear to be a fluid situation. Elsewhere in the secondary, it was a positive development that Echols returned after missing several weeks with an ankle injury.

Defensive line (6): Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Cameron Heyward, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Yahya Black, Gabriel Rubio
Notable cuts: Dean Lowry, Esezi Otomewo

Rubio came into the league as an unheralded sixth-round pick. He’s showed his stout run-stuffing ability and some versatility (playing nose and 4i) during a strong training camp and the three preseason games. The Steelers have some hard decisions up front. They can probably only keep one of the following three players: Rubio, Lowry, Otomewo. I’ll project they go with youth and look to sign the veterans to the practice squad.

Outside linebackers (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
International: Julius Welschof

The Steelers will have to determine how they split the reps between their top three and how many creative ways they can find to get all of them on the field together. But in terms of the 53, this group seems set.

Inside linebackers (4): Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Elandon Roberts, Carson Bruener
Notable cuts: Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison, Jamin Davis


Roberts got the start and on the first play of the game, shot a gap to make a tackle for loss. His signing in training camp might shake up the depth chart. The Steelers typically carry five ILBs. But keeping four QBs comes with a price tag and this could be a position that feels the numbers crunch. The hope would be to put Holcomb on the practice squad.

Safeties (4): DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins, Robert Spears-Jennings
IR candidate: Sebastian Castro
Notable cuts: Jack Henderson, Devan Boykin

Jenkins and Spears-Jennings are two players on the bubble. While Spears-Jennings is a seventh-round pick, his 4.3 speed and nearly 6-2 frame will make a solid special teamer. Jenkins probably played his way onto the roster with a physical preseason Game 2.

Specialist (3)

Kicker: Chris Boswell
Punter: Cameron Johnston
Longsnapper: Christian Kuntz