Stuart Broad bowed out from cricket with 604 Test wickets to his name after taking the final two in England’s win over Australia at the Oval.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at the key statistics from his stunning career.

Old enemy

“I’ve had a love affair with the Ashes my whole life and the thought of being able to bowl my last ball and face my last ball against Australia fills me with joy.”

Those were Broad’s words as he announced his retirement after day three of this summer’s final Test and they are reflected in his career statistics.

Only Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157) have taken more than Broad’s 153 Ashes wickets, at an average of 28.96, and the 12 men he dismissed seven times or more in Test cricket include eight Australians.

Opener David Warner is famously his favourite opponent with 17 dismissals across seven Ashes series dating back to 2013, including seven in 10 innings in 2019.

He has taken Steve Smith and Michael Clarke 11 times each, Usman Khawaja, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson eight and Travis Head and Mitchell Johnson seven times.

Broad took the wickets of New Zealand pair Ross Taylor and Tom Latham and South Africa’s AB de Villiers 10 times each and De Villiers’ compatriot Hashim Amla on eight occasions. He has dismissed 234 different batters in total.

Game-wrecker

Broad’s wickets came in 167 Tests at an average of 27.68, with his debut coming back in 2007 against Sri Lanka.

Known for his game-wrecking bursts, Broad has 20 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket matches – a best of 11 for 121 against Australia at Chester-le-Street in 2013 and two against the West Indies, at Lord’s in 2012 and Old Trafford in 2020.

He produced a scintillating best of eight for 15 at Trent Bridge to help win the 2015 Ashes and has seven-wicket hauls at Lord’s in the aforementioned West Indies clash and against New Zealand in 2013.

Broad is the only England bowler with two Test hat-tricks to his name, removing India trio MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar in successive balls in figures of six for 46 in 2011 and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Shaminda Eranga in 2014.

Going out at the top

Broad’s golden period between 2013 and 2016 brought 196 Test wickets at 25.56, with four of his five best innings figures including six for 25 against India at Old Trafford and six for 17 in Johannesburg to bowl South Africa out for 83.

He put together a similarly impressive stretch dating from 2019 – the year he turned 33.

He has 171 wickets at 24.23 in that time and aside from a down year in 2021, with 12 wickets in seven Tests, has averaged almost 40 dismissals a year.

Among the elite

Broad sits fifth and new-ball partner James Anderson third on the list of leading Test wicket-takers, headed by two of the world’s all-time great spinners.

Sri Lanka star Muttiah Muralitharan’s 800 wickets may never be matched, with the late Shane Warne currently the only man within 100 after taking 708 for Australia.

Anderson has 690 while former India spinner Anil Kumble racked up 619 wickets to Broad’s 604.

McGrath and Courtney Walsh are the only other bowlers to take even 500 – McGrath 563 and West Indies great Walsh 519.

Only Kumble of the ‘500 club’ has a higher average than Broad’s 27.68, the Indian taking his wickets at 29.65. McGrath’s 21.64 edges out Muralitharan (22.72) for the best average.

Broad surprisingly has the fewest five-wicket innings among the septet, though on 12 of those 20 occasions he has gone on to take at least six.

More than just a Test bowler

While Broad’s batting declined in recent years, he has 13 Test half-centuries and a memorable 169 in the controversial Lord’s ‘spot-fixing’ Test against Pakistan in 2010.

A Test batting average of 18.03 does not do justice to the all-round ability he showed for much of his career, having in his teenage years followed the lead of his famous father Chris as an opening batter.

His brilliance also translated to different formats, taking 178 one-day international wickets at 30.13 and 65 at 22.93 in T20, where he captained England in 27 of his 56 appearances.

Training camp opened less than a week ago, and the Indianapolis Colts are suddenly short on running backs.

Zack Moss suffered a broken bone in his forearm during Monday's practice and will undergo surgery.

The recovery time is expected to be six weeks, which means he'll miss the rest of training camp and puts his availability for the Colts' Week 1 opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 10 into question.

Moss had been working as the Colts' No. 1 running back in training camp with Jonathan Taylor absent.

Taylor, who was the NFL's rushing leader in 2021, has been seeking a contract extension, prompting him to request a trade.

He is currently on the physically unable to perform list, but the Colts are considering moving him to the non-football injury list after it was reported he failed his physical due to a back injury that was sustained while away from the Colts. He is also working his way back from an ankle injury that forced him to miss six games last season.

Last November with Taylor injured, the Colts traded for Moss from the Buffalo Bills, and in the season's final four games, he rushed for 334 yards on 69 carries with one touchdown while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.

With Moss injured and Taylor clashing with owner Jim Irsay and the front office, Deon Jackson and rookie Evan Hull are next men up at running back for Indianapolis.

Teed Up dug deep to cling on to victory in the Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap, the feature event on day one of the Galway Festival.

Trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Raymond Barron, the six-year-old was sent off the 7-2 favourite for the two-mile-one-furlong affair after finishing second at Tramore on his most recent outing.

HMS Seahorse and Whisky Sour were to the fore turning for home, but Teed Up grabbed control with a couple of furlongs to run and had to keep finding for pressure as The Very Man produced a finishing burst.

However, Teed Up was not for passing, coming home half a length in front with Shajak a further half-length back in third and HMS Seahorse taking fourth.

Barron said: “It’s my first ride in this race. I’d no ride in it all week and Emmet rang me on Friday. It was like Christmas getting the call.

“He broke well and travelled very smoothly throughout the race. I was nearly there too soon turning in but he was going so well that I kind of had to kick on. He got to the front too soon but he was tough and was very game all the way to the line.

“Around Galway, riding for Emmet and the Mee family, you always have a chance and it’s nice that I could deliver for them today.

“I’m based with Charles Byrnes. I’m getting plenty of rides off Charles and am in a very privileged position and, I suppose as a result of that, I’m getting plenty of outside rides as well.”

Earlier on the card, Mystical Power (6-4 favourite) made a perfect start over obstacles in the Galwaybayhotel.com & TheGalmont.com Novice Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ charge is bred to be a champion as a son of Galileo and the first foal of multiple Grade One winner Annie Power and he triumphed on his bumper debut at Ballinrobe in May.

Connections made a swift switch to hurdling with the four-year-old and he duly justified that confidence when cruising home by seven lengths in the hands of Mark Walsh.

Paddy Power make Mystical Power a 16-1 shot for both the Supreme and Ballymore Novices’ Hurdles at next year’s Cheltenham Festival and Mullins was certainly impressed.

He said: “That was a huge performance compared to his bumper performance. He likes jumping but there is a lot of improvement to come as he made at least three mistakes.

“Like his mother (who won on debut at Galway), he’s won here on his second run and hopefully he’ll be half as good as her.

“I’ll continue hurdling with him now. I don’t want to go back to the flat – I may do that next year with him. He looks like a horse that we might aim at the Royal Bond or something like that.”

Teed Up dug deep to cling on to victory in the Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap, the feature event on day one of the Galway Festival.

Trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Raymond Barron, the six-year-old was sent off the 7-2 favourite for the two-mile-one-furlong affair after finishing second at Tramore on his most recent outing.

HMS Seahorse and Whisky Sour were to the fore turning for home, but Teed Up grabbed control with a couple of furlongs to run and had to keep finding for pressure as The Very Man produced a finishing burst.

However, Teed Up was not for passing, coming home half a length in front with Shajak a further half-length back in third and HMS Seahorse taking fourth.

Barron said: “It’s my first ride in this race. I’d no ride in it all week and Emmet rang me on Friday. It was like Christmas getting the call.

“He broke well and travelled very smoothly throughout the race. I was nearly there too soon turning in but he was going so well that I kind of had to kick on. He got to the front too soon but he was tough and was very game all the way to the line.

“Around Galway, riding for Emmet and the Mee family, you always have a chance and it’s nice that I could deliver for them today.

“I’m based with Charles Byrnes. I’m getting plenty of rides off Charles and am in a very privileged position and, I suppose as a result of that, I’m getting plenty of outside rides as well.”

Earlier on the card, Mystical Power (6-4 favourite) made a perfect start over obstacles in the Galwaybayhotel.com & TheGalmont.com Novice Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ charge is bred to be a champion as a son of Galileo and the first foal of multiple Grade One winner Annie Power and he triumphed on his bumper debut at Ballinrobe in May.

Connections made a swift switch to hurdling with the four-year-old and he duly justified that confidence when cruising home by seven lengths in the hands of Mark Walsh.

Paddy Power make Mystical Power a 16-1 shot for both the Supreme and Ballymore Novices’ Hurdles at next year’s Cheltenham Festival and Mullins was certainly impressed.

He said: “That was a huge performance compared to his bumper performance. He likes jumping but there is a lot of improvement to come as he made at least three mistakes.

“Like his mother (who won on debut at Galway), he’s won here on his second run and hopefully he’ll be half as good as her.

“I’ll continue hurdling with him now. I don’t want to go back to the flat – I may do that next year with him. He looks like a horse that we might aim at the Royal Bond or something like that.”

Virgil van Dijk has been appointed as Liverpool captain following the departure of Jordan Henderson, the Premier League club have announced.

The 32-year-old, who arrived at Anfield from Southampton in 2018 and has made 222 appearances, also performs the role internationally for the Netherlands.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been confirmed as vice-captain after James Milner left to join Brighton earlier in the summer.

Henderson and Milner have departed as part of an overhaul of the team’s midfield as Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild following last season’s disappointing fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

It meant the club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

“It has been a very disappointing year last year,” Van Dijk told the club website. “It was actually not a bad run-in. Obviously in the end we didn’t achieve anything we hoped to achieve and that was very disappointing.”

Of the players who were part of Klopp’s title-winning squad in 2020, Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino have also left, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been released following an injury-hit Reds career.

In their place, Brighton’s World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has been signed along with Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig.

“Obviously it has been quite an interesting summer with players obviously leaving and new players coming in, this little transition that is going on,” added Van Dijk.

“We also have to be a bit patient but we want to be there and we want to show what we’re capable of because we have a fantastic group of players, staff, fans, stadium, we shouldn’t even discuss that.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 31.

Remembering Sir Bobby.

Reece James was enjoying himself.

Antony was on the scoresheet.

The Women’s World Cup celebrated a landmark.

England looked back on the glory of 12 months ago and the impact it has had.

Hayley Raso and Australia were celebrating.

Wilfried Zaha was excited to get going.

England took a close look at a catch controversy.

Chris Eubank Jr was at the game.

Red Bull were still celebrating their Spa 1-2.

Jenson Button took a ride in Nigel Mansell’s 1992 championship winning car.

Caroline Wozniacki and Holger Rune got in some practice.

Wales young gun Louis Rees-Zammit insists he has only shown a fraction of his talent in his short career to date as he targets a World Cup debut.

The Gloucester winger has scored nine tries in 25 Test matches and earned British and Irish Lions selection since making his debut as a teenager in late 2020 but, still only 22, he wants to take his game to another level.

After a season in which he was hampered by injuries, Rees-Zammit is itching to get onto the pitch for Wales’ World Cup warm-up fixtures – home and away against England before a Cardiff date with South Africa – and remind everyone what he is capable of.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot to give,” he said. “You’ve probably only seen a little bit. I’m ready to showcase my skills on the field whenever I get the chance. I don’t think you’ve seen the best of me. I’ve got a lot more to give.”

Rees-Zammit made his name on the wing but has also been seen in a 15 shirt for Wales, and he wants to develop that side of his game as he takes the next steps in his career.

“I want to be versatile,” he said. “I want to add more strings to my bow and if that means playing 15 as well then I’m ready for it. I’ve trained at wing and full-back so wherever I get played I’ll try my hardest.”

Rees-Zammit said the biggest thing he had to work on to play full-back was his defensive positioning, but he feels he has the attributes to excel in the backfield.

“In Test rugby there are a lot of kicks and you’ve got to be ready,” he said. “You’ve got to be in the right position at the right time. That’s a lot different to being on the wing but in attack you get more of a licence to go and look for the ball and get more touches.

“We do have a licence and freedom on the wing as well but stepping up as a first receiver from full-back I quite enjoy. I’d say I get my hands on the ball more at 15.

“I’d say my kicking game is pretty strong but obviously I do love running with the ball. Being a threat on the counter attack is also there.”

So much has come so fast for Rees-Zammit to date, but his dream as a boy was always to play in a World Cup for Wales, and this autumn’s tournament offers him a first opportunity.

He remembers watching the 2019 tournament with his team-mates at Hartpury College, never imagining he would be a Wales international himself a year later.

“Everything has come so quick and I’ve tried riding the wave in a sense,” he said.

“I absolutely love it here. I love rugby and playing for Gloucester and Wales and obviously I got on the Lions tour as well which was unbelievable. This is the next step and I haven’t been to a World Cup yet. That is a dream.”

The 33 players that make Warren Gatland’s final selection for France will have had to work hard for their places as Wales continue a punishing summer of training camps, spending the last week in Turkey where temperatures have been hitting 40 degrees.

Rees-Zammit described the training camp as “brutal” and “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically and mentally”, but it is just what he needed to put his injuries behind him.

“My body feels as sharp as ever,” he said. “I feel the best I’ve ever felt so I’m really looking forward to these games coming up and showing what I can do.”

England’s new scrum coach Tom Harrison has revealed his passion for rugby helped him overcome some of the challenges of living with dyslexia.

The 32-year-old likens the learning difficulty, which mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling, to running a 100-metre race “but your lane’s got hurdles in it”.

He would often lean on twin brother Sam for help during childhood but eased his literacy issues by devouring match-day programmes bought during trips to watch Premiership club Bath.

Harrison joined the national team from Leicester at the start of June to reunite with head coach Steve Borthwick and is tasked with ensuring England’s forward pack is firing in time for the forthcoming World Cup.

“I’m hugely dyslexic, so found school hard,” he said.

“If you don’t like doing something, the majority of the time you don’t do it and I wasn’t very good at reading.

“But then when you find a love for something, you’re like, ‘OK, I can do this’. The bit for me was I found a love in rugby.

“I’m not saying had I not bought a match-day programme or had I not bought a rugby magazine I would never have been able to read or write.

“But what it allowed me to do is hone other skills that were underdeveloped.”

People with dyslexia often have strengths in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.

Harrison feels that could prove advantageous to his country during the upcoming showpiece tournament in France, which England begin on September 9 against Argentina in Marseille.

“You have to coach players equally but differently,” he said. “Everyone has a different way of retaining information.

“For me personally, I see it as a positive. It’s almost like you are in a 100-metre race but your lane’s got hurdles in it.

“Over the course of growing up, I’ve developed different ways of thinking – some call it cognitive diversity. Sometimes they are brilliant ideas, sometimes they’re horrendous but I probably think slightly outside the box to different people.

“I see that as a problem-solving tool, it can be very beneficial. (But) I’m not the biggest fan of writing on a whiteboard and people probably can’t read my notes!”.

Harrison replaced Montpellier-bound Richard Cockerill in the England setup by following Richard Wigglesworth, Aled Walters, Kevin Sinfield and Borthwick along the well-trodden path from Welford Road to Twickenham.

Having never played the game at the top level, he has taken a less conventional route into elite coaching.

The former prop studied a sports coaching degree at Hartpury University in Gloucestershire, where current England stars Jonny Hill and Ellis Genge were among his contemporaries.

Alongside teaching the game, he went on to play for French PRO D2 side Auch – Antoine Dupont’s club as a junior – and Plymouth Albion in the Championship.

“It’s a quick route in some aspects because I’m young but actually if you go career experience, I’ve been coaching for a long time,” said Harrison, who helped Leicester win the Gallagher Premiership title in 2022.

“I do have moments where I go, ‘wow, I’ve got one of the coolest jobs in the world, I get to coach my country in a sport that I love’.

“But it’s very much you’re then back down to work and actually let’s do the job rather than be in that honeymoon period.

“If we want to get England back to being one of the world’s best, then the scrum is an aspect where you do have to improve.”

A series of further tweaks to the whip rules have been announced by the British Horseracing Authority.

Regulations concerning the use of the whip underwent major changes earlier this year, with the numbers of strikes allowed in Flat and jumps races reduced to six and seven respectively, with a tougher penalty structure for those in breach, including doubled suspensions for major races and disqualification in the most serious of cases.

The changes have resulted in some high-profile casualties, with both Frankie Dettori and Oisin Murphy handed eight-day bans at Royal Ascot, which saw Dettori forfeit his final chance to win the July Cup – the only British Group One he has not claimed – ahead of his retirement at the end of the year.

The BHA recently completed a six-month review of the whip rules, penalty structure and process alongside the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and a group of senior jockeys, with further refinement of the rules now agreed.

If a Flat rider uses their whip once above the permitted level, the minimum penalty of four days may now be reduced to three days if they have had 100 or more British rides since a previous offence, or two days if they have had 200 or more rides.

Over jumps, it is 75 or more rides to gain a one-day reduction and 150 or more rides to qualify for a two-day cut.

Races which incur a double penalty have also been revised and will now apply to all class one races and any class two contest with total prize money of £150,000 or more, or any class two race restricted to apprentices, conditionals or amateur jockeys only.

Possible offences are currently assessed by the Whip Review Committee on Tuesdays and Fridays, but riders who go one above the threshold will have the option of the raceday stewards dealing with any potential breach rather than waiting for the WRC, although they would not be able to appeal any decision.

The WRC will also be limited to a seven-day window to review a possible contravention of the rules, unless a potential disqualification is involved.

Four offences of use above the permitted level in a six-month period will now result in a referral under the ‘totting up’ procedure, while the top end of the penalty range had been reduced from six months to four. It will remain the case that a rider will be referred to the BHA’s judicial panel if they commit five offences of any type in a six-month period.

Sam Angell, chair of the WRC, said: “These changes reflect an ongoing process to improve the new whip rules and penalties, while retaining the original objectives, which are to ensure more judicious use of the whip for encouragement, improve the perceptions of whip use and ensure that the outcomes of races are fair.

“The BHA remains extremely grateful to the PJA and the senior riders who have engaged so constructively with this process. This dialogue will remain ongoing.”

Data released by the BHA shows that in the last six months in a total of 37,428 rides, 425 cases were referred to the WRC with 360 breaches – equating to less than one per cent of rides.

Angell added: “We continue to see a reduction in the rate of offences, which is a testament to the measures being taken by the jockeys as they continue to adapt to the new rules, for which they deserve great credit.”

Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington will clash in an all-British world featherweight title fight at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on October 7.

The 34-year-old Wood will put his WBA version of the title on the line against Leeds favourite Warrington, who is looking to bounce back after losing his IBF crown to Luis Alberto Lopez in December.

The Nottingham fighter, who gained revenge over Mauricio Lara to reclaim his crown in May, believes the bout is one of the biggest all-British offerings currently in the sport.

Wood said: “In terms of the followings we’ve got, the football clubs and the cities, this is arguably the biggest British rivalry in the sport.

“For me, it doesn’t really get any bigger. Our styles will gel and that should make for a very exciting and entertaining fight.

“Josh has some great wins on his record and is obviously a two-time world champion, but this is a fight that he cannot lose.”

Warrington believes he has been written off by Wood following his loss to Lopez – his first career defeat at his Leeds base – and is eager to seize the opportunity to move back into major unification bouts.

“I’m obsessed in becoming a three-weight world champion, to get back on top and that is going to show on the night,” said Warrington.

Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw said she did not feel it was her last match in the job after the Girls In Green bowed out of the World Cup by securing an historic point.

Having been beaten 1-0 by co-hosts Australia and then 2-1 by Canada in the opening two matches of their debut major tournament campaign, which ended their last-16 hopes, Ireland’s final Group B game finished in a goalless draw against Nigeria in Brisbane.

Pauw’s contract is coming to an end and she said in her postmatch press conference: “I don’t feel this is my last game.”

The Dutchwoman had previously stated she wanted to continue in the role beyond the tournament and – when asked if she was hopeful of getting a new contract – she said: “I’ve been very clear, haven’t I, so I don’t need to answer that I think.”

Pauw, who did not make a substitution in the Nigeria game until the 83rd minute, was also asked about skipper Katie McCabe having requested change being made earlier during the contest.

And she said: “Why would we change? If Katie McCabe says that she wants to change, it doesn’t mean…she’s not the coach. Everybody was doing so well, so I said ‘what do you want, Katie, taking the best player off? No’.

“Players are allowed to be emotional and allowed to say that. That’s fine. But during the game I step back and analyse and we make changes the moment that it is necessary.

“A player can ask always, but as a coach it’s not a refusal. As a coach you make decisions on what is necessary. A player can say everything to a coach, at least to me.

“(McCabe said) she wanted fresh legs on her side. (No change was made) because everybody was doing so well. Sinead Farrelly was arguably the best player on the pitch at that moment. So I was not prepared to take the best player off.”

McCabe, scorer of the team’s first-ever goal at this level in the Canada match, sent an effort wide of Nigeria’s goal early on.

Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan subsequently made a fantastic save, diving to push Uchenna Kanu’s 52nd-minute header against the crossbar, en route to Pauw’s side clinching the landmark result.

Pauw said: “I think we can be extremely proud of ourselves.

“We have lost a game through a very unlucky penalty kick (against Australia), an own goal (against Canada) and now 0-0 against (world number 40) Nigeria, who I rate as a top-10 nation.

“We’ve been very unlucky, we’ve done fantastically and the players have grown from very good, very talented players to international, top players.

“From the games, what I take out is that we can face everybody and that if you look at the stats and that we are getting closer and closer and closer in everything, then we are far ahead of schedule.”

Randy Waldrum’s Nigeria, who had pulled off a shock 3-2 victory over Australia in their second game, advance as Group B runners-up to a last-16 showdown next Monday at the same stadium against the winner of Group D – currently led by England.

Asked if she would give Nigeria a chance of beating the European champions, Pauw said: “(England manager) Sarina (Wiegman) will make her own game-plan.

“They will be able to put pressure on Nigeria. That doesn’t mean Nigeria would not have a chance against them.

“But if you have all players, both on the bench and on the pitch, playing 90 minutes every week at the highest level, at the best clubs, then they are the favourite for the World Cup – so that means, if you ask me about chances, England will have a bigger chance.

“But that doesn’t mean Nigeria hasn’t played incredible matches.”

Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami was given the nod over stable companion and fellow Royal Ascot winner Gregory due to the likelihood of soft ground in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

Both horses are owned by Wathnan Racing and connections had considered taking advantage of the three-year-old weight allowance with Gregory, rather than running the four-year-old Courage Mon Ami.

However, the recent wet weather caused a rethink and it is Courage Mon Ami of the John and Thady Gosden-trained duo who will aim to maintain his unbeaten record.

“John was keen to train both him and Gregory for the race and soft ground or probable soft ground swayed the decision towards running Courage Mon Ami, while Gregory will now take a different route, with his main aim being the St Leger,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners.

“Frankie (Dettori) will ride and he’s drawn five. He’s back in trip but he won there impressively before the Gold Cup and we know he handles the track. I don’t think it will be a problem coming back to two miles, it was always the question before Ascot if he would he stay two and a half.

“The horse is in good form and he did his last piece of work on Friday and both John and Thady were delighted with him.”

One horse who will certainly not be inconvenienced by any further rain is Aidan O’Brien’s Emily Dickinson.

Only fourth in the Gold Cup, she subsequently won the Curragh Cup over 14 furlongs.

“Emily Dickinson came out of the Curragh very well. Ryan (Moore) was happy with her and felt she won very easily. She is a filly we really fancied for the Gold Cup. She ran a good race and came out of it well,” said O’Brien.

“She loved the ease in the ground at the Curragh. She comes out of races on fast ground perfectly, which suggests it does not bother her, but she appears much better with an ease in the ground. It hinders other horses, whereas she appears to grow another leg on soft ground.

“Since the Goodwood Cup has been upgraded to a Group One, it has been brilliant. It is a very prestigious race and a unique race because two miles on the Goodwood track is very different. It is a difficult race to win, but we always try to have a horse that is good enough to win it.”

O’Brien also runs Broome, the mount of William Buick.

One who bypassed Ascot in preference for this is Marco Botti’s Giavellotto, the Yorkshire Cup winner.

“He won well at York and it has always been the plan to skip the Gold Cup at Ascot and go to Goodwood for the Goodwood Cup,” said Botti.

“He is well and his prep has gone to plan, we think he is fit and he looks in good order. We know he stays and we’re looking forward to it.

“Two miles is not an issue but we felt the Ascot Gold Cup may have stretched him a little bit. He settles well and he looks a stronger horse than last year.

“I just worry about the ground, I hope it will be nice ground for everyone and not extremes. Good to soft would be what he wants.

“Goodwood is a track he has never run at before, but hopefully he handles the undulations. You have to respect the opposition because it’s a competitive field and a strong race, but we are going there with the horse in really good nick and we can only hope for a good run.”

Andrew Balding’s Coltrane was beaten three-quarters of a length when second in the Gold Cup and Oisin Murphy is another who feels the return to two miles will be in his favour.

“I was obviously gutted to get beat on Coltrane in the Gold Cup and he has come out of Ascot very well,” said Murphy, ahead of another leg in the British Champions Series.

“He’s a very good horse and I hope he’s as good here as he was at Ascot. All the signs at home are positive and I think this two miles will suit him better than the two and a half at Ascot.

“I don’t think the quick ground was a problem in the Gold Cup as he obviously let himself down on it, but we know from his past form that he enjoys some dig in the ground, so that’s a plus for him.”

Last year’s St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov, Quickthorn and Tashkhan are also running.