The owner of Taranis has confirmed that the nine-year-old will not run in this year’s Grand National (for which Tricky Trickster is 10/1 ante post fav with totesport) due to injury.

The Paul Nicholls-charge has been scratched from the entrants for the Aintree marathon, having been seen as potential challenger for the 2010 race – which takes place in Liverpool on April 10.

Taranis made a successful comeback in January, when winning the Argento Chase at Cheltenham after over two years on the sidelines a with a leg injury.

But since then the gelding has struggling for fitness and although connections says it is not a leg problem, Taranis has been ruled out of the National and this month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup – Kauto Star is the current 4/6 fav for the 3 mile and 2½ furlong chase.

Owner Angela Yeoman insisted: “We are not quite sure what the problem is yet, but I don’t want to run him if he’s not right.”

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Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill says he remains confident the Tigers (11/10 with totesport to be relegated) will be able to fight their way out of Premier League trouble and avoid the drop this season.

Having lost their last two games, Hull (13/2 to win at Goodison Park) have slipped into the bottom three and they go in search of their first away win of the season at in-form Everton (1/3) this Sunday.

Wales international Myhill admits that it is hard to enjoy the game when it is a constant fight against the drop, but he believes the side have enough quality to avoid the drama of last season - when they survived on the final day of the campaign.

The former Aston Villa man told the Hull Daily Mail: “There is so much at stake. Everybody fights for everything and it will go down to the last few games of the season for half-a-dozen teams.”

Phil Brown’s men have 11 games left this season, with five at home and six away, including games against fellow relegation battlers Portsmouth, Burnley, Sunderland and Wigan.

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Ivory Coast football association president Jacques Anouma admits he wants Russia coach Guus Hiddink to take charge of the Elephants (Evens to be Top African Team) at the World Cup finals.

Anouma is looking to replace the sacked Vahid Halilhodzic who paid the price for a disappointing African Cup of Nations campaign earlier in the year.

Hiddink’s appointment is far from straightforward, however, with the Dutchman contracted to Russia until the end of June while he will take over as Turkey coach in August for their 2012 Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Anouma told the BBC: “Guus is one of the people we have contacted about becoming coach.

“Probably in the middle of next week something will be concluded.”

He added: “Of the three or four in contention to become the next coach, Guus is the person we want but we are still talking to him.

“Talks are ongoing but nothing has been decided.”

The Elephants kick off their World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 15 in Port Elizabeth.

Ivory Coast also face games against Brazil and North Korea in Group G.

Eighteen-times major winner Jack Nicklaus claims he will be “surprised” if Tiger Woods is not back in golf in time for the Masters in Augusta next month.

Woods is currently on an indefinite break as he addresses marital problems but Aussie Nicklaus expects the 34-year-old to be back in the near future.

Nicklaus, 70, said: “It would it surprise me if he didn’t.

“I’ve been very non-committal because it’s none of my business. But playing golf, my guess as a golfer, he’s going to probably try to want to.”

The Golden Bear added: “I suspect he will play something before Augusta, and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t play before Augusta.”

Meanwhile, Woods’ caddie Steve Williams insists he knew nothing of the scandal that surrounds his employer and that he would have spoken out if he had discovered the truth.

The Kiwi told 60 Minutes in New Zealand: “It’s been the most difficult time of my life…because every single person believed that I should know or did know or had something to do with it.

“I’m a straight-up sort of person. No-one that has ever watched him on a golf course would suspect anything would be going on. I’m under siege, it’s been a difficult time.

“If I had known something was going on, the whistle would have been blown.”

New Scotland boss Craig Levein says his side have a “decent chance” of qualifying for Euro 2012 – despite the fact Spain and Wednesday’s opponents Czech Republic are in their group (Scotland 6/1 to make it to Euro 2012 with totesport).

Levein’s first game in charge of the national side is against the Czechs as Scotland look for their first friendly win at Hampden Park in 14 years on Wednesday (Scotland 13/8, Czech Republic 8/5, the draw 23/10 on the match coupon).

The former Dundee United chief is aiming to kick off his reign successfully and also insists Scotland can make it to the European Championships in just over two years’ time.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do but I wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t think we had a decent chance of qualifying for the European Championships,” he said.

On the game itself, he added: “I know it’s not a competitive match and it’s not the be-all and end-all. But I think for everybody’s sake, it would be good  to put on a good performance and win.

“I think we are capable of winning the match.”

Birmingham forward James McFadden has pulled out of the game with a groin injury so West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans will take his place but full-back Lee Wallace has passed a late fitness test and will start.

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Steven Gerrard has admitted a good team spirit will be vital if England (11/2) are to triumph at this summer’s World Cup.

Gerrard, who will captain England in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand against Egypt in the friendly at Wembley on Wednesday, says Fabio Capello’s squad must be united out in South Africa if they are to stand any chance of winning the World Cup (England 7/1 to beat Egypt 3-0).

The Liverpool skipper said: “I think it is important for everyone to get on to be successful. We know there are a lot of opinions about this squad from the outside.

“But the most important thing is from the inside we are all one, we are all together and united.

“For us to be successful in the summer, we need to all stick together. We know each other inside out now. We’ve had enough time under Fabio to realise what the manager wants from us.”

Gerrard will ine up in the England midfield against Egypt as Capello’s side continue to prepare for the World Cup with the friendly the final game before the Italian names his provisional squad for the tournament.

Ospreys have been dealt a big blow with the news that back rower Tom Smith will miss the next eights weeks and is a doubt for their Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz.

The 24-year-old picked up hip and knee injuries in the Welsh region’s 19-17 victory over Connacht (18/1 to win the European Challenge Cup) on February 21.

The former Wales (40/1 to receive the wooden spoon) under-21 captain was forced off early on in the game at the Liberty Stadium and scans on Tuesday showed the full extent of the injuries.

Ospreys (4/1 to win the Magners League grand final), who face Edinburgh (20/1) on Sunday, will now be concerned that Smith will miss their upcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final match with Biarritz on April 10.

“He is improving as well as we could hope for at the moment, but we are looking at a recovery period of around six to eight weeks from the day of the game, which means that we are looking at a mid-April return to playing.”

The good news for the Ospreys ahead of their game with Edinburgh is that Mike Phillips along with Andrew Bishop, Dan Biggar, Tom Prydie, Kristian Phillips and Ian Gough have all been released by Wales to play at Hampden Park this weekend.

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Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelean says the Republic of Ireland players believe they can qualify automatically for Euro 2012.

The Irish (6/4 to qualify) kick off their qualification campaign in September in a bid to put the heartbreak of their World Cup play-off exit to France behind them.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s men got their build-up to the qualification campaign underway on Tuesday night when they faced Brazil (5/1 to win the World Cup) at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite holding their own in the first half Ireland came unstuck just before half time when Keith Andrews put through his own net before Robinho added a second after the break.

There were plenty of positives for Ireland to take out of the game as they more than held their own against one of the favourites for the World Cup for an hour and against a lesser side Trapattoni’s team would have probably gone on to win the game.

Ireland (3/1 to win Group B) have two further friendly matches scheduled before the start of Euro 2012 qualification and Whelan says everyone is keen to avoid the play-offs by finishing top of their group.

“It is a big thing now about moving on and we are trying to put the France situation behind us,” said Whelan.

“We do not want to get in the play-offs again, we want to qualify straight away.”

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England selector Geoff Miller admits Kevin Pietersen could miss part of the ICC World Twenty20 (England 10/1 in totesport’s outright winner market), in order to be at the birth of his first child.

Pietersen’s wife Jessica is due to give birth in the middle of May, with the Twenty 20 tournament in the Caribbean taking place between April 30 and May 16.

England (12/5 to win the Ashes series later this year) officials have offered Hampshire ace Pietersen the chance of paternity leave should the birth take place during the ICC event.

The 29-year-old has always suggested that he would not consider missing the birth and Miller says he completely understands Pietersen’s thoughts.

Miller stated: “I’m a great advocator of people being solid family-wise, so I’ve no problem with that. Nobody dictates when the birth will be, so we’ll play it by ear.”

Pietersen was included in the 30-man preliminary Twenty20 squad announced by England, who are in a group with West Indies and Ireland, earlier in the week.

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The trainer of Dunguib (4/6 fav with totesport for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle) has dismissed the chance of the seven year-old running in the Champion Hurdle at this month’s Cheltenham Festival.

The gelding is unbeaten in his last eight starts, including victory in last month’s Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Dunguib, who won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last year, had been talked about as potential runner in the Champion Hurdle (10/3 joint favs Go Native and Solwhit) later this month.

But Phillip Fenton has confirmed that connections see the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as his target for the Festival.

Speaking to At The Races, the trainer insisted: “We are sticking with the original plan. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is where we’re going and we have tunnel vision about it now. That’s his race.”

Make sure you keep a regular check on the totesport.com horse racing betting markets ahead of the Cheltenham Festival – which begins on March 16.