HUGE Gold Cup chance Il Est Francais – dubbed a ‘real superstar’ by his trainers – has been scratched from the £625,000 race.

The King George runner-up, whose amazing jumping ‘takes the breath away’, had been as short as 14-1 for the Cheltenham Festival feature.

PA

Awesome jumper Il Est Francais is out of the Gold Cup – now will he go for the Ryanair or the Champion Chase?[/caption]

But he was pulled from the contest ahead of tomorrow’s latest scratching stage.

Connections now have a huge decision to make on whether the two-time Grade 1 winner goes for the Ryanair or Champion Chase.

Trainers Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm had hinted they wanted to avoid Fact To File at Cheltenham.

The John Durkan winner was beaten again by Galopin Des Champs over 3m in Saturday’s Irish Gold Cup.

Fact To File simply cannot get the trip as well as Galopin Des Champs and the 3m2f uphill finish of the Gold Cup looks beyond him.

With the 2m4f Ryanair appearing to be much more his cup of tea, Mullins will surely aim the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old there.

Which leaves Il Est Francais’ owners Richard Kelvin Hughes and Haras De Saint-Voir with a huge dilemma.

They could take on Fact To File in what could be a red-hot Ryanair.

Or they drop right down to 2m – a trip Il Est Francais has never jumped over – for the Champion Chase.

Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon is 4-5 for the Wednesday feature, with nearest market rival Gaelic Warrior a complete no show at the Dublin Racing Festival.

He hates Leopardstown and could come alive at Cheltenham.

But Il Est Francais’ trainers may fancy taking on Jonbon given he has never won a Grade 1 at the home of jumps.

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BOTH Rory McIlroy AND Shane Lowry pocketed a massive seven figure sum from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.

The Holywood man edged out his Offaly counterpart and Sepp Straka in a thrilling finish in California.

Reuters - USA Today Sports

Alamy Live News

It was a dream start to 2025 for McIlroy, who won a staggering €3,500,000 in the process.

Lowry, meanwhile, was afforded a capable consolation in the form of a cool €2,111, 000.

The world number three was a stroke behind his Ryder Cup team-mate Sepp Straka heading into the final round at Pebble Beach.

McIlroy, playing in his first PGA Tour event of 2025, carded a closing 66 to finish at 21-under-par, securing a 2-shot victory over Lowry.

Starting the day one stroke off the lead, the Northern Irishman showed his class down the stretch as he built a solid lead over his opponents.

Rors made the turn in 35 before turning on the after burners as he birdied 10, 12 before a stunning eagle on 14.

The Northern Irishman followed that with another birdie on 15 before calmly seeing the tournament off with as he parred home for a six-under 66 for a total of -21.

Lowry, chasing his first solo PGA Tour win since 2019, also made a late charge but it his -4 round wasn’t enough as he finished second solo second on -19.

Lucas Glover, Justin Rose were a shot further back from the Offaly star and two behind winner McIlroy.

The victory marks McIlroy’s 27th PGA Tour title and sets the perfect tone for a season where he hopes to end his wait for a fifth major championship.

Asked if he was approaching his best, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “Yeah I’m close, I’m pretty close.

“I feel like I controlled my ball flight well in the crosswinds this week I drove the ball really well.

“I think I’ll always nitpick and there’s always things about my game that I want to try to get better, because that’s just who I am.

“I’m trying to get the most out of myself all the time, but I also have to accept at the same time where my game’s at right now.

“It is in a really good shape and probably as sharp as it’s ever been at the end of January, start of February, heading into the season.

“So really, really happy with where everything is.

“I’ve talked a lot about this year trying to limit the mistakes and trying to keep the big numbers and the destructive swings off the scorecard.

“For the most part this week, I did that. The game can start to become pretty simple and feel pretty easy when you’re not making bogeys.

“I know I’m going to hit enough good golf shots to give myself plenty of birdie opportunities, it’s just a matter of, getting that odd up and down to keep the round and the momentum of the round going.

“I did that really well this week.

“I think my short game was really good this week. I looked at my short game last year, it was very, it was very volatile, very up and down.

“I’d have some good weeks, but then I’d have some bad weeks. Just trying to just get a little bit more consistency in there.”

CHLOE Radford has admitted she is ‘struggling’ with her second pregnancy and revealed her symptoms are ‘getting worse’.

Three months after she shared that Britain’s biggest family is due to get even larger, the 29-year-old, who is already mother to adorable daughter Mila, two, with her security guard boyfriend Jacob Wallace, shared a candid ‘bump update’ with fans. 

TikTok

TikTok

Tiktok/@itschloexa

Chloe recently showed fans her first baby scan[/caption]

TikTok/@itschloexa

She has already chosen the name for her second child, a baby boy[/caption]

The blonde beauty, who previously opened up on feeling ‘guilty’ and wanting to ‘cry all the time’, is now 26 weeks pregnant with her second child and claimed that her bump has ‘definitely popped’.

Sharing all with her 96,500 TikTok followers, the content creator explained: “First off, my heartburn/acid reflux is getting worse.

“I was in bed the other night and I was nearly sick from it, it was so bad.

“The next morning I actually was sick from that. It’s getting worse so I do actually need to go to the shop and get some Rennie’s or something.”

Not only has Chloe been secretly struggling with heartburn, but she’s also been dealing with painful back ache too, as she added: “My back pain/pelvic pain is quite bad. It feels like a shooting pain. 

“So I’m not sure if he’s maybe sat on a nerve or I’ve got a bit of sciatica pain or whatever, I’m not sure.”

Noel and Sue Radford’s second eldest daughter then confirmed: “This pregnancy is so different, just completely different to Mila’s. 

“I had such an easy time with her, whereas I feel like this time I am struggling a bit more.

“I’m not enjoying it as much as when I was pregnant with Mila. Just the aches and the pains and all the symptoms.” 

Not only is she ‘really not enjoying it as much’ this time around, but Chloe, who works as a bakery manager at the family’s Radford Pie Company, also shared: “Even though he’s got an anterior placenta, I can actually see him moving around and things. That’s amazing because I never really got that with Mila.

“I’ve got an appointment with the midwife in two weeks and I think that’s when they will start measuring the bump, which I’m really excited to see how he’s measuring.”

Chloe, who began her relationship with her partner Jacob in 2021 and gave birth to their first child on July 23, 2022, also opened up on her current sleep battle, as she confessed: “It’s all just typical pregnancy symptoms, I just need the acid reflux and heartburn to just calm down a little bit, because it’s not nice, is it?

I’m not enjoying it as much as when I was pregnant with Mila

Chloe Radford

“Aside from that, I’m feeling good, just tired. I can’t sleep properly.

“I feel like I’m not really going into much of a deep sleep. I’m tossing and turning, not getting comfortable and having to get up to go for a wee all the time.”

But as Chloe, who is the third oldest Radford child, approaches her due date, she acknowledged: “Got 14 weeks left. Well, could be 14, could be 16, who knows?

“I’m so on edge that he’s going to come early. I’m just worried that he’s gonna be early.

“I’m freaking out, I’m really freaking out.”

Radford fans flock

Chloe posted her clip on her official TikTok account @itschloexa, four days ago, and it has quickly racked up 134,900 views.

Fans quickly flocked to the comments, eager to share support and guidance for Chloe.

One person said: “Poor you Chloe, I was like that but it’s all worth it in the end.”

Another added: “You still look amazing.” 

A third commented: “Try bicarbonate of soda in milk or water. It’s awful but it certainly works.”

Whilst someone else chimed in: “I swear by Trebor extra strong mints. They work better than Rennie’s or Gaviscon.” 

INSTAGRAM/CHLOE RADFORD

Chloe and Jack welcomed their first daughter Mila on July 23, 2022, after beginning their relationship in 2021[/caption]

Instagram @itschloeradford

Despite her nerves, the mum-of-one explained that she is really ‘happy’ and ‘excited’ to be a mother again[/caption]

INSTAGRAM

Chloe and Jack’s second child will be Noel and Sue Radford’s 16th grandchild[/caption]

STRONG winds will gust over Dublin tonight as the capital is battered by rain.

Met Eireann confirmed that conditions will remain “mostly dry and settled” next week after strong winds today and tonight – but warned that temperatures will plunge below freezing in just a few days.

REUTERS/Damien Eagers

Meteologix

The wind will ease tomorrow morning[/caption]

The forecaster said today will be dry with a mix of cloud and hazy sunny spells this morning before conditions turn cloudier this afternoon with “the chance of a little drizzle”.

Conditions will turn breezy in Dublin through this afternoon, with fresh and gusty southerly winds developing in temperatures of 10C to 12C.

Met Eireann confirmed that the wind will continue to hit the capital overnight.

The weather bosses said: “Breezy tonight with rain arriving from the west early on and continuing through the night.

“Lowest temperatures of 7C to 9C in fresh and gusty southerly winds.”

Alan O’Reilly said it will be late evening before Dublin is expected to see the rain, warning that it will be “a very wet start in the morning in the east and southeast”.

O’Reilly said some spot flooding is possible but confirmed that the heavy winds will “ease down for a time” tomorrow morning.

Met Eireann said tomorrow will be wet and cloudy at first, but rain will clear eastwards later in the morning with sunshine and scattered showers following.

The weather bosses said there is a “chance of hail” early in the afternoon.

Temperatures will be at their highest between 9C and 10C, with moderate, occasionally fresh southwest or west winds.

Met Eireann said the weather in Dublin will become mostly dry with long clear spells as showers become isolated early tomorrow night.

The rain will become mostly confined to Atlantic coasts as temperatures plunge to their lowest between -1C and 3C – with the weather bosses warning of frost and ice forming.

‘SOME UNCERTAINTY’

Looking towards the rest of the week, Met Eireann said: “Mostly dry and settled for the rest of the working week. Chilly during the nights. Some rain next weekend.”

The forecasters said Dublin will be “mostly dry with good spells of sunshine” on Wednesday, with just a few light showers possible near western and northwestern coasts.

Temperatures will peak between 6C and 9C before dropping between -2C and 2C on a “dry, clear and cold” Wednesday night.

On Thursday, it will be another largely dry and sunny day with moderate temperatures peaking between 7C and 10C.

Met Eireann said Dublin will experience another mostly dry day with spells of sunshine on Friday – but the forecasters warned that cloud may gradually build from the west.

Temperatures will be at their highest between 6C and 9C.

Looking towards next weekend, Met Eireann said: “Some uncertainty as rain may encroach from the west at some stage but overall, plenty of dry weather is still signalled.”

ELON Musk’s Neuralink has claimed a human patient used one of its brain chips to control a robot arm with their mind.

In a short clip posted on X, a robot arm holding a pen slowly wrote the word “convoy” on a whiteboard.

Reuters

Three human patients have had the chips inserted in their brains so far[/caption]

Convoy is the name of the Neuralink study focusing on using the company’s N1 brain chip to control a robotic arm.

“I don’t think most people understand what’s happening here: Neuralink’s patient is controlling a robotic arm with his mind,” one onlooker wrote on X.

“Not a joystick, not a muscle sensor, just his thoughts.”

Musk replied, to seemingly confirm what people were seeing in the video, saying “true”.

The 30-second clip doesn’t reveal who is controlling the machine.

Three human patients have had the chips inserted in their brains so far.

The Convoy study, first announced in November, aims to give people with disabilities, particularly quadriplegics, the power of limb control.

“I’m one of the many paralysed people so happy for his progress with Neuralink,” a second person wrote on X.

A third person called the progress a “phenomenal achievement”.

In March, Neuralink’s first human patient to have the N1 surgically implanted in his brain, Noland Arbaugh, successfully used the technology to control the mouse cursor on his laptop.

Arbaugh, a quadriplegic, used the tech to play Mario Kart and live stream on his PC using just his brain.

He previously had to rely on mouth-operated controllers to play video games.

The N1 brain chip reads brain signals, and translates them into Bluetooth-based commands that can control a remote device – like a game controller, or robot arm.

CaringBridge

Noland Arbaugh was the first person to receive a Neuralink implant[/caption]

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