Alyanaabi advertised his star potential with a tremendous late rattle to claim the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket.

Owen Burrows’ charge had created a taking impression when scoring on debut at Salisbury in June before finishing fourth behind Rosallion when upped to Listed level in a hot race at Ascot next time.

Sent off at 4-1 for this Group Three event, jockey Jim Crowley was in no rush aboard the son of Too Darn Hot in the opening stages, but Alyanaabi still had a wall of horses ahead of him with a furlong to run as Roger Varian’s Boiling Point made his charge for home.

Boiling Point – another of Too Darn Hot’s first crop – looked for all money the winner 50 yards from the line. However, the Shadwell-owned youngster still had plenty in the tank and once finding both space and top gear with the winning post looming, Alyanaabi ate up Boiling Point’s advantage to come out on top by a short head at the very last moment.

“He’s a horse we have always liked,” said Burrows.

“He ran well at Ascot, but we felt he was a bit better than that. He’s just got there today, but he would have been an unlucky loser if he hadn’t got there and I’m very very pleased.

“We’ve sort of given him a little bit of time between his races which has given him a little bit of time to develop and strengthen up. I’m sure he will do well through the winter and we hope to be back here in May time next season.”

Burrows may already be thinking about a 2000 Guineas tilt in the early part of next season, but the winner also holds an entry in the Dewhurst Stakes back on the Rowley Mile on October 15 and could still have further opportunities to stake his Classic claims this season.

Both Paddy Power and Betfair make Alyanaabi an 8-1 chance for the Dewhurst, while he was introduced into Coral’s market for the opening Classic of next season at 25-1.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this,” added Burrows. “He’s in the Dewhurst and if he comes out of this all right and the ground is still nice then we’ll see.

“Naturally you will be thinking of that (2000 Guineas) and he seems to have the right attributes so all being well that is what we will look for.”

The victory serves as a timely boost for connections ahead of their Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe tilt with the in-form Hukum at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, with Burrows looking forward to taking his stable star to the French capital.

“It does help and it does take the edge off a little bit – it’s nice to have a nice winner before – it all helps,” said Burrows.

“The draw (stall 14) for Sunday hasn’t been overly kind to us, but there isn’t a lot we can do about it and we’ll look forward to it.”

Elliot Minchella insists revenge has not crossed the mind of his Hull KR team-mates as they prepare to face Leigh for the fifth time this season in their Betfred Super League play-off elimination clash at Craven Park.

Rovers wiped out a two-point deficit and an inferior points difference with their win at relegated Wakefield last week to secure home advantage against the Leopards, to whom they suffered an agonising golden point Challenge Cup final defeat at Wembley last month.

Far from allowing their heartache to usher them out of the play-off picture, Minchella, one of his side’s standouts at loose forward this season, believes it steeled them to pull together and spark a revival that secured their top six place.

“We can’t get caught up talking about revenge,” Minchella told the PA news agency. “We’ve not even mentioned what happened in the past. As far as we’re concerned the league and cup are done now, and this is the start of a new competition.

“We deserve to be here and we want to be involved in those big occasions again. Our self-confidence and performances have been growing week by week, and that’s the result of getting that final out of our systems as quickly as possible.”

Rovers went to St Helens just six days after their loss in London, and although they came up short on that occasion they won three of their last six games to improbably overhaul Leigh on the last day and snatch fourth place.

The dejection on the faces of the Rovers players and fans after Lachlan Lam’s dramatic drop goal at Wembley prompted many to fear their top six hopes were effectively over, but Minchella pointed to head coach Willie Peters as the catalyst for their stirring late-season comeback.

“Whilst we were absolutely gutted about the result at Wembley we did take a lot of confidence from the way we performance, and the knowledge that as a group there is no reason we can’t perform in big games,” added Minchella.

“It was a blessing in disguise to have another game so soon afterwards, and Willie made it clear that if we didn’t push aside the disappointment our season could have derailed, so that’s exactly what we went out and did.”

Bradford-born Minchella, who joined Rovers in 2020, has excelled in his role at number 13 this season, playing an increasingly pivotal role in guiding a much-changed side through a swathe of high-profile injury setbacks.

“I’m playing in a slightly different role to previous years but it suits me and I really enjoy Willie’s style of play,” added Minchella.

“He knows where this club wants to go and he knows we’ve got the talent to get there. In the past we maybe haven’t had that work ethic and belief that we can do something, but he has really instilled into the group that we deserve to be where we are and can go on to big things.”

In contrast, Leigh head into the play-offs still seething from their controversial home defeat by Wigan last week which denied them home advantage.

The Leopards are without Zak Hardaker and have a major doubt over Minchella’s counterpart at number 13, John Asiata, and Leigh head coach Adrian Lam is braced for their stiffest test yet.

“This is the fifth time we’ve played them this season and since the loss at the Challenge Cup final, I think they’ve got a lot of confidence off the back of that,” said Lam.

“Like teams that do lose – Wigan in the Cup semi-final, Saints in the Cup semi-final to us – there’s a motivational part to help them get through the rest of the season.”

New Edinburgh prop Javan Sebastian will start for Scotland for the first time in Saturday’s must-win match against World Cup Pool B minnows Romania in Lille after Gregor Townsend made 13 changes to his XV.

Backs Chris Harris and Kyle Steyn are the only two players to have retained their places in the side from last Sunday’s win over Tonga.

Stand-off Ben Healy plus back-rowers Hamish Watson and Luke Crosbie join 29-year-old Sebastian – who has won all of his six caps as a substitute – in coming in for their first appearances of the tournament.

Lock Grant Gilchrist will take over the captaincy in the absence of Edinburgh colleague Jamie Ritchie, who is undergoing concussion protocols.

Uncapped Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews – called up last weekend – will have the chance to make his debut off the bench.

Key men like Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Richie Gray, Jack Dempsey and Zander Fagerson have been left out of the 23 ahead of the following weekend’s showdown with Ireland, while established starters Blair Kinghorn, Huw Jones and Rory Darge will be on the bench.

Scotland must defeat Romania with a bonus point to ensure they have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals going into the Ireland match in Paris.

The in-form Chindit will bid for a fantastic three-timer in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Richard Hannon’s five-year-old has won at Group level in each of the four years he has been in training with the Everleigh handler and has thrived of late, adding Sandown’s Fortune Stakes to the Group Three Superior Mile he secured at Haydock earlier this month.

He will now attempt to end September on a real high in a race which could be his final outing before commencing stallion duties for owner Dr Cyrus Poonawalla in India.

Hannon said: “I’ve been very happy with him at home and he’s just doing his routine canters and moving great – he’s arguably in the form of his life.

“He’s a gentleman and a pleasure to have around and I think this might well be his last run before he goes to India to stand as a stallion.

“He’s top-class and has been ultra-consistent and deserves his shot at a nice big race like this.”

Standing in Chindit’s way is Charlie Hills’ defending champion Mutasaabeq who made all in good style 12 months ago.

Four of his six career victories have come on the Rowley Mile, but he has been without a win since scoring at the track in May and having somewhat disappointed in his most recent efforts, connections are hoping his love affair with the track can see him bounce back to his very best.

Hills said: “He seems to love Newmarket and the Rowley Mile. He has a great record there and it has always been the plan really to aim him at this race after York.

“He’s been good (since York). We were a bit disappointed and he didn’t finish off his race as well as he could have done. We’ve had no problems with him and his work has been good leading up to this race so we’ll see how we get on.

“There is not too many runners in it and I’m not sure what the tactics will be, but we’ve got a good record there.”

William Haggas’ Maljoom counts a German 2000 Guineas triumph among three wins from his first four starts and could be classed as an unlucky loser when seeing his unbeaten record ended in the St James’s Palace Stakes at last year’s Royal Ascot.

He now returns from 472 days off for this Group Two event, while John and Thady Gosden have a decent hand saddling both Epictetus and Sovereign Stakes scorer Mighty Ulysses, who had Sir Michael Stoute’s reopposing Regal Reality behind in third at Salisbury.

It could prove a profitable afternoon for the Clarehaven team who also hold all the aces in the Princess Royal Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Stakes with Running Lion and Sweet Memories.

The former was extremely progressive earlier in the campaign before seeing her momentum checked in both the Oaks at Epsom – when withdrawn at the start – and then the French equivalent when well held.

She was a keeping-on second following a break at Salisbury last month and is now upped in trip for a first try at 12 furlongs.

The Frankie Dettori-ridden Coppice and Atalanta Stakes second Queen For You dominate the market in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai British EBF Rosemary Stakes, another race in which the Gosden training team have leading claims.

Meanwhile the lightly-raced Lion’s Pride is also given the chance to confirm his potential in a competitive Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes which features last year’s St Leger runner-up New London and Lion’s Pride’s Windsor conqueror Candleford.

English duo Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick have spoken of revenge – compatriot Tommy Fleetwood preferred the word “motivated” and Rory McIlroy went with “determined” – but Europe’s team are united in their quest to regain the Ryder Cup.

The record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits was a humbling experience as they lost their grip on the trophy and that quartet are among seven of the current team who experienced it.

They all have their own way of describing what is driving them this week at Marco Simone in Rome but it all points in the same direction.

“Ultimately deep down you want to get some revenge. We have a fantastic team and we will be trying our best to make that happen,” Hatton told rydercup.com.

“You don’t want to be trying too hard, so you give it 100 per cent but being aware of not trying to force the issue and be natural.

“I’m not one to usually fist pump after putts unless they have true meaning but the Ryder Cup is different so on the positive side you will see more (from me) for sure.”

Fitzpatrick may be a major champion, having won last year’s US Open, but in terms of the Ryder Cup he has yet to land a punch having lost all five matches he has played in over two editions.

And while he is keen to get off the mark he is aware the bigger picture is far more important.

“Whistling Straits was disappointing… I think it is some motivation,” he said.

“Realistically if we just won by a point I don’t think it matters; as long as we win I don’t think we are bothered but we all want to win it back regardless of what happened last time.

“I couldn’t care less what happens as long as we win, I don’t care,” adding as a joke: “As the old saying goes, ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying’. Don’t use that.”

Fitzpatrick’s faith in his team-mates has also grown.

“I’ll be honest, if you look at the way the team compared to the US team nine months ago you’d think, ‘OK, there’s a bit of a gap here’ but I feel the closer we have got to this week the more it has looked in our favour.

“Looking at some of the numbers presented, it’s a lot closer than everyone thought it would be so that’s a great sign for us.”

World number two Rory McIlroy felt the defeat in Wisconsin more than most after his only point in for matches came in the Sunday singles over Xander Schauffele, which prompted a tearful television interview afterwards.

“I don’t mind being vulnerable, it’s a very natural human thing to do and I’d say Whistling Straits was probably one of the most vulnerable times of my career,” said McIlroy, who professed his love for his team-mates in an emotional outpouring on the 16th green.

“I wasn’t playing my best golf. It was a tough week for all of us and makes us more determined to put it right this time.

“There are moments of chaos and there’s a really fine balance between thriving in the chaos and getting swept up with that emotion but also being able to bring yourself back to centre and get yourself back to doing what you need to do.”

Fleetwood spoke of standing in silence on the 18th green watching the Americans celebrate as “a very motivating feeling we knew we didn’t want to happen again”.

And world number four Viktor Hovland feels they have a point to prove after that thrashing.

“I think we all have a bit of a chip on our shoulder, we want to show what we can do,” he said.

“I am sure the Americans think they can show up here and do the same thing again but we’re going to do everything we can to stop that.

“I hope we all play our asses off and show them what Team Europe is made of. I just want this week to be a huge statement.”

Greek Order will bid to show the Pattern-class potential connections hoped he possessed at the start of the season when he takes his chance in the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.

Trained by Roger and Harry Charlton, the Juddmonte-owned colt is a full-brother to the smart Sangarius and has found his feet following placed efforts on his first three starts.

Having got his head in front at Sandown in May, he followed up at Newbury in August – form boosted by four and a half length runner-up Maximilian Caesar winning next time out at Doncaster.

Greek Order now bids to become the first three-year-old to win the first leg of the autumn double since the high-class Lord North in 2019.

“It’s a very difficult task, he’s a very inexperienced three-year-old horse taking on seasoned campaigners, but he’s a nice horse and we’re giving it a go,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for the owners.

“You probably do need to be a Group horse, and earlier this season we probably thought we’d have gone out of handicaps by now, but just the first couple of runs of the year didn’t pan out for him.

“We took our time and he had a little hold-up then midsummer, so we were a little bit behind the eight-ball, hence the reason we’re still in the handicap division, but we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Oisin Murphy retains the ride after being on board at Newbury and is looking forward to the challenge.

He told Racing TV: “The Cambridgeshire is a very hard race to win but he’s nicely weighted and on past renewals he has a nice draw.”

Greek Order will bid to show the Pattern-class potential connections hoped he possessed at the start of the season when he takes his chance in the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.

Trained by Roger and Harry Charlton, the Juddmonte-owned colt is a full-brother to the smart Sangarius and has found his feet following placed efforts on his first three starts.

Having got his head in front at Sandown in May, he followed up at Newbury in August – form boosted by four and a half length runner-up Maximilian Caesar winning next time out at Doncaster.

Greek Order now bids to become the first three-year-old to win the first leg of the autumn double since the high-class Lord North in 2019.

“It’s a very difficult task, he’s a very inexperienced three-year-old horse taking on seasoned campaigners, but he’s a nice horse and we’re giving it a go,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for the owners.

“You probably do need to be a Group horse, and earlier this season we probably thought we’d have gone out of handicaps by now, but just the first couple of runs of the year didn’t pan out for him.

“We took our time and he had a little hold-up then midsummer, so we were a little bit behind the eight-ball, hence the reason we’re still in the handicap division, but we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Oisin Murphy retains the ride after being on board at Newbury and is looking forward to the challenge.

He told Racing TV: “The Cambridgeshire is a very hard race to win but he’s nicely weighted and on past renewals he has a nice draw.”

Rossa Ryan is eager to test Task Force’s potential when he lines up in Saturday’s Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Ralph Beckett’s charge is certainly bred to be a world beater as a son of Frankel out of a 1000 Guineas winner in Special Duty, and he has made an impact in winning each of his two starts to date.

A three-and-a-quarter-length winner on debut at Salisbury in July, Task Force took a jump to Listed level in his stride when coming home a cosy winner at Ripon at the end of last month.

Ryan was particularly impressed on the latter occasion and expects to find out plenty more about the colt when he switches to Group One company this weekend.

He said: “He has done everything right so far and his Listed race at Ripon is working out really well. 

“Quite a lot impressed me about him the last day as his win didn’t really feel like a race, it felt more like a piece of work as he was doing it that easily. 

“I know this is a massive leap forward into a Group One, but he has done everything right and you can’t fault him in any manner. 

“He has a very good cruise control and hopefully he can use that at the weekend. As to what his best attribute is I don’t know yet, but hopefully he will answer a few of those questions on Saturday.”

Ryan also has a second Group One ride to look forward to on the card as he teams up again with Symbology in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

The Clive Cox-trained filly was a York maiden winner in July and has since come up short in three Group races, most recently coming home seventh behind the reopposing Juniper Berries in the Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury.

While that form leaves her with something to find, Ryan does not think she will be out of her depth in the six-furlong contest.

He said: “Symbology has done little wrong, although the last day things didn’t quite go to plan. She is in good health. It is a very good race and we will see how she goes. 

“On her home work she has shown the ability to be able to perform at this level, but in the Group races she has run in up until now she has just been a bit green.

“Hopefully that won’t be the case in the Cheveley Park.”

The bet365 Cambridgeshire is the other highlight on the card, with 35 runners set to tackle the nine-furlong distance.

Ryan is on a likely longshot in Alan King’s Paradias, but he would not be surprised should the four-year-old outrun his double-figure odds.

He added: “Paradias has been consistent enough and he hasn’t done too much wrong. However, he is off a career-high mark.

“He looked like winning the race the last day at York with me, but he just hung across the track.

“We are dropping back to one mile, one furlong from a mile and a half so we will see how he goes back down in trip, although he has won over it before.”

Norway’s Viktor Hovland warmed up for Friday’s start of the Ryder Cup by holing his tee shot at the par-four fifth hole at Marco Simone in Rome.

Unfortunately for the world number four it was only a practice round and it was his second attempt at going for the green on the 300-plus yard hole which is guarded by water.

The 24-year-old had fanned his first attempt pin-high into the right rough and reloaded with his three-wood and landed the ball on the green.

He turned away to walk back to his bag only to see the ball roll into the hole followed by loud cheers, him tossing his club away, playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick jumping on his back and fellow team-mate Tyrrell Hatton struggling to contain his laughter.

Surrey have retained their LV= Insurance County Championship title as Essex’s slim hopes ended after their batters collapsed in a heap against Northamptonshire.

A 20-point gap between the top two Division One teams heading into the final round meant Surrey needed just five points in their fixture against Hampshire to celebrate a 21st championship triumph.

They secured three bowling bonus points at the Ageas Bowl but none with the bat, which opened the door for Essex, who needed to amass a 400-plus score in 110 overs to have any chance of catching Surrey.

But Essex were unable to claim the maximum amount of batting bonus points as they capitulated to 211 all out on Thursday morning, with last man Jamie Porter bowled by Tom Taylor to crown Surrey champions.

Surrey, who have won the championship five times since the turn of the century, became the first side since Yorkshire in 2014 and 2015 to claim back-to-back titles.

Shuwari returns from a two-month absence in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday, with her form being franked in some style during that lay-off.

Ollie Sangster’s filly followed up a Newbury novice stakes success by getting the better of Fallen Angel in the Listed-class Star Stakes at Sandown towards the end of July.

That runner-up has since gone on to land the Sweet Solera at Newmarket and the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

“We’re looking forward to it,” said Sangster. “Her first two runs were pretty straightforward, she looks a lovely filly and I think the better ground will bring out the best in her.

“We wanted to run her in the Prestige at Goodwood, but she suffered a small setback which ruled that out.

“So she’s not as battle-hardened as some of the other runners in the race, but that can’t be helped and we’re hopeful she can carry on improving.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang bids to redeem her lofty reputation in this Group Two contest over seven furlongs after disappointing in the Moyglare.

The Frankel filly was made favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas following a couple of convincing victories, but finished last of nine at the Curragh earlier this month.

Carla’s Way was a beaten favourite in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot after impressing on her Doncaster debut, but showed the benefit of a wind operation last time out.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner was prominent for a long way when second to Darnation in the Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

Ed Crisford said: “She ran a nice race at Goodwood when finishing second on ground that probably didn’t suit her. She comes into this in good form, I think she’s just come on a bit for that run, and the going should be spot on for her this time.”

Spiritual was weak in the market before her Leicester debut and showed signs of greenness early on, but overcame that inexperience in fine fashion.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge is bred to stay and the €280,000 purchase galloped on strongly to win going away.

Alshinfarah claimed wins at Doncaster and Haydock before finishing a close third behind Freville in a Group Three at ParisLongchamp.

Jim Crowley’s mount made the running over a mile and was only headed in the closing stages, so dropping back down in distance could suit.

Zenjabeela gets a deserved step up in class following strikes at Southwell and Beverley, showing a good attitude to wear down subsequent Ayr scorer Miss Roberts at the Yorkshire track.

Carolina Reaper was well beaten in the Sweet Solera after an emphatic success on the July course here but recovered to secure some black type in Germany last time out.

Charlie Johnston’s charge battled on well to edge out Schutzenzauber by a neck in a Group Three contest at Baden-Baden.

Marcella has a Chester win to her credit but was 50-1 when fifth of six in a Haydock Listed event.