Gareth Thomas says it would be “an amazing feeling” if Wales beat Australia and book a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place one game inside the distance.

Wales tackle the Wallabies in Lyon on Sunday knowing that victory would confirm one of the two qualifying spots from Pool C.

England or Argentina are then likely last-eight opponents in Marseille next month, with Wales maintaining a 100 per cent record of reaching the knock-out phase under head coach Warren Gatland during four successive World Cup campaigns.

Wales then have a break next week before completing their group schedule against Georgia in Nantes.

“When we came here we always wanted to win all the games in the group and nothing has changed,” Wales prop Thomas said.

“We’ve got the same mindset. We want to go out there and perform and get the win.

“That would be an amazing feeling wouldn’t it, getting the third win? We don’t want anything but that. We are looking forward to this weekend and then we will have a couple of days to recover after that.”

While Wales occupy the box-seat, Australia must win to have any chance of progressing from a pool that also includes Fiji, Georgia and Portugal.

A 22-15 defeat to Fiji in Saint-Etienne last weekend has elevated the prospect of Australia not progressing to the quarter-finals, which has been their minimum achievement in all nine previous World Cup campaigns.

Australia’s record in the tournament against Wales is a good one, though, having toppled them five times from seven attempts, but the latest meeting will undoubtedly see them weakened by injured forwards Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton missing out.

Thomas added: “They are always going to be dangerous when you play against them.

“We wanted to come here with the mindset of winning all the pool games, and nothing has changed for us. So whether they have won or lost, it doesn’t change anything for us.

“We take a lot of confidence from the Fiji game and Portugal game and what we’ve done all summer, really, and feel like we can only get better as well.

“We know it is going to be a big, physical contest and we are looking forward to getting out there.

“It doesn’t really make any difference to me whether they (Tupou and Skelton) are in or not.

“We’ve got our heavies behind us – Will (Rowlands) and Beardy (Adam Beard) and Daf (Dafydd Jenkins). They are all heavy boys and Christ (Tshiunza) as well. We’ve got plenty of power ourselves.”

Thomas is among 16 Wales players involved in a first World Cup campaign and he is relishing the experience on and off the pitch.

Wales assistant coach Alex King has compared the squad to a “band of brothers”, and Thomas said: “There is just something special about every game in the World Cup, so we are watching them and just enjoying them because there is a big buzz about everything.

“We have fines committees. The (latest) sheet came out with all the fines on it and Nick Tompkins racked up a decent bill.

“He wore the wrong T-shirt and he was a little bit late for monitoring after the Fiji game because his alarm didn’t go off. It’s all good fun.

“I am on environment, so making sure everything is clean and taking the empty bottles, putting them in the bin. That’s my job, the guy who tells everyone to clean up their own stuff.”

Phil Salt insists he would “be there in a heartbeat” if England needed him as a World Cup reserve in India.

Jason Roy had been earmarked as the next man in should injury create a vacancy at the top of the order during the tournament, but the 33-year-old was stung by his last-minute omission from the squad and is currently on retirement watch after turning down a place in the Metro Bank Series against Ireland.

That means there is plenty to play for those who will be involved on Saturday at Trent Bridge and Tuesday in Bristol, with players on the periphery jostling to catch the selectors’ eye.

A modest total of just 14 ODI caps is still enough to make Salt the most experienced member of a second string with just 38 between them and a strong showing against the boys in green could help him inch one step closer to inking his name in as first-choice replacement.

“We haven’t had that conversation as yet. I’d imagine if that was to happen, it would be a little bit further down the line, probably after this series,” he said.

“But I know it’s an opportunity to stake a claim to a reserve spot and, obviously, if I got the call I’d be there in a heartbeat.

“We’ve got a young group here but it’s an exciting group who have done very well, whether that’s playing for their counties or in opportunities in franchise cricket or the Hundred.

“Coming into the dressing room and seeing how many proven performers we have sitting under the radar of the full-strength squad, I think it’s quite an exciting opportunity.”

Salt’s aggressive ball-striking and ability to double up as a wicketkeeper has earned him plenty of interest on the franchise circuit and he has previously turned out in domestic competitions in India, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies.

The vast sums available on the franchise scene is becoming a huge issue for boards to contend with as they seek to preserve the primacy of international cricket, with an avalanche of retirements expected to follow the completion of the World Cup.

At 27, and with plenty of unfulfilled ambitions at the highest level, Salt insists he is not tempted by life as a global freelancer but accepts that the appeal will only go up as the years progress.

“That’s probably quite a personal question for some people,” he said.

“Some people are at the stage of career where they are prioritising, earning money and securing their future and their family’s future. I’m a bit luckier in the position that I’m in where I’ve got time to make these calls and declare what I want to do.

“Right now, I just want to play as many games as I can for England. There’s a lot of franchise opportunities out there, but every game I can get in an England shirt, I want to take the opportunity with both hands.

“But there’s no doubt if I play as long as I want to, there will be a time where, like with every other professional cricketer, you’ve got that challenge where you’ve got to make decisions for yourself. It’s a hell of a question isn’t it?”

Brendan Rodgers has admitted his discontent with Celtic’s summer transfer business in the same week the club announced record profits.

The Celtic boss claimed every manager would want more signings, but he made it clear he was not satisfied with what transpired.

Celtic announced a record annual profit of £40.7million on Monday and revealed they had had £72.3m “net of bank borrowings” on June 30 this year, although they have since invested £15million on transfer fees.

The Scottish champions signed nine players this summer, but when asked if he was content with the business, Rodgers said: “No. No, I think if you ask any manager they will always be wanting more, of course.

“But we work with the players that’s here. I’m not saying that in any disrespectful way, I think every manager will tell you they maybe wished they could have done one or two more signings.

“But the window closed, we had the players we had in and I’m a coaching manager, and we will work with the very, very best players at our disposal to make our performance level the best we can possibly be.

“And now we are preparing already for the January window and the summer window.”

Celtic signed seven players on permanent deals this summer – Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Marco Tilio, Yang Hyun-jun, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Luis Palma – and brought in Paulo Bernardo and Nat Phillips on loan.

Of those, only Palma and Lagerbielke started in Tuesday’s opening Champions League defeat by Feyenoord and the Swedish defender was sent off alongside substitute Holm.

Outside of Phillips, who came in late in the window after a spate of injuries to central defenders, the average age of the new arrivals was 21 when they signed.

Celtic lost three regulars from their treble-winning squad in Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy, and now have a larger but arguably less experienced squad.

Rodgers said: “Listen, if you look at the strategy of the club, it’s signing the younger players to develop and improve.

“I think I have said it before here, that to maximise that potential, of course, you need that balance in your squad.

“You need quality and you need experience, and that will obviously help and support potential that you have.

“So that’s something that hopefully over the course of my time here that the squad can regenerate into that way.”

Rodgers admitted pre-match in Rotterdam that his team were not at “peak Celtic”, but there were positive signs during the game before a soft opening goal from a free-kick and the two red cards undermined their chances.

When asked how close they were to clicking into gear, Rodgers said: “It’s time. A lot of young players coming into the squad, coming into the team.

“It’s a different team even from when I agreed to come in, looking at the players who have moved on and the players we have brought into the club.

“It takes that little bit of time and obviously when you are missing key players, key players can influence the level at which you play the game.

“But thankfully the likes of Reo Hatate…. he had another 55-60 minutes the other night, so that’s really good for him in terms of match practice because he has not played so much. When he gets up to speed, he will show he is a fantastic player.

“A few others are coming back a little bit later, but I would anticipate us getting better as the season goes on.”

Phillips remains a doubt for Saturday’s trip to face Livingston in the cinch Premiership after missing Tuesday’s European clash in Rotterdam.

“Nat had a heavy roll on his ankle last weekend,” Rodgers said. “We will give him another 24 hours. He has been out on the pitch so we will just assess it from there.”

Brendan Rodgers has admitted his discontent with Celtic’s summer transfer business in the same week the club announced record profits.

The Celtic boss claimed every manager would want more signings, but he made it clear he was not satisfied with what transpired.

Celtic announced a record annual profit of £40.7million on Monday and revealed they had had £72.3m “net of bank borrowings” on June 30 this year, although they have since invested £15million on transfer fees.

The Scottish champions signed nine players this summer, but when asked if he was content with the business, Rodgers said: “No. No, I think if you ask any manager they will always be wanting more, of course.

“But we work with the players that’s here. I’m not saying that in any disrespectful way, I think every manager will tell you they maybe wished they could have done one or two more signings.

“But the window closed, we had the players we had in and I’m a coaching manager, and we will work with the very, very best players at our disposal to make our performance level the best we can possibly be.

“And now we are preparing already for the January window and the summer window.”

Celtic signed seven players on permanent deals this summer – Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Marco Tilio, Yang Hyun-jun, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Luis Palma – and brought in Paulo Bernardo and Nat Phillips on loan.

Of those, only Palma and Lagerbielke started in Tuesday’s opening Champions League defeat by Feyenoord and the Swedish defender was sent off alongside substitute Holm.

Outside of Phillips, who came in late in the window after a spate of injuries to central defenders, the average age of the new arrivals was 21 when they signed.

Celtic lost three regulars from their treble-winning squad in Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy, and now have a larger but arguably less experienced squad.

Rodgers said: “Listen, if you look at the strategy of the club, it’s signing the younger players to develop and improve.

“I think I have said it before here, that to maximise that potential, of course, you need that balance in your squad.

“You need quality and you need experience, and that will obviously help and support potential that you have.

“So that’s something that hopefully over the course of my time here that the squad can regenerate into that way.”

Rodgers admitted pre-match in Rotterdam that his team were not at “peak Celtic”, but there were positive signs during the game before a soft opening goal from a free-kick and the two red cards undermined their chances.

When asked how close they were to clicking into gear, Rodgers said: “It’s time. A lot of young players coming into the squad, coming into the team.

“It’s a different team even from when I agreed to come in, looking at the players who have moved on and the players we have brought into the club.

“It takes that little bit of time and obviously when you are missing key players, key players can influence the level at which you play the game.

“But thankfully the likes of Reo Hatate…. he had another 55-60 minutes the other night, so that’s really good for him in terms of match practice because he has not played so much. When he gets up to speed, he will show he is a fantastic player.

“A few others are coming back a little bit later, but I would anticipate us getting better as the season goes on.”

Phillips remains a doubt for Saturday’s trip to face Livingston in the cinch Premiership after missing Tuesday’s European clash in Rotterdam.

“Nat had a heavy roll on his ankle last weekend,” Rodgers said. “We will give him another 24 hours. He has been out on the pitch so we will just assess it from there.”

Marcus Smith will provide a cutting edge from full-back as England look to give their attack lift off in their World Cup clash with Chile in Lille.

Harlequins fly-half Smith starts in the number 15 jersey for the first time having appeared as a replacement in the previous four Tests, providing a lively counter-attacking threat and extra playmaking option.

On each occasion his arrival acted as a catalyst for England with the ball in hand, particularly in Sunday’s 34-12 victory over Japan.

Owen Farrell returns from suspension to lead the team at fly-half as Steve Borthwick makes 12 changes in personnel for the clash against the lowest-ranked side in Pool D at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday.

Borthwick has taken the opportunity to rest the bulk of his frontline stars such as stand-in skipper Courtney Lawes, full-back Freddie Steward, hooker Jamie George and centre Manu Tuilagi.

However, George Ford has not been given the weekend off after being picked on the bench, raising the prospect that three players whose primary position is 10 could be on the field at the same time.

At some point in the second half, Farrell and Ford are expected to reprise the playmaking axis that served England well under Eddie Jones until Ford fell out of favour.

Chile are ranked 22nd in the world and offer the scope to experiment as well as rest key personnel with tougher assignments against Samoa on October 7 and a potential quarter-final to come.

Henry Arundell and Max Malins form the wings, while Ollie Lawrence and Elliot Daly are paired together in a classic centre pairing that mixes ball-carrying clout and dynamic running skills.

Only prop Kyle Sinckler and flanker Lewis Ludlam remain from the pack that overran Japan, with hooker Theo Dan and prop Bevan Rodd present in a raw-looking front row.

“One of the many great things about the World Cup is that the tournament provides an excellent opportunity to play against teams that we rarely have a chance to see. It is for that reason that we are particularly looking forward to testing ourselves against Chile on Saturday,” Borthwick said.

“Having watched our next opponent closely, we know that we will have to prepare and play well against a committed Chile team.

“As we head to the next round, it is only right that I once again pay tribute to our excellent supporters who I know will be right behind us in Lille this weekend.”

While there are a host of new faces present, all eyes will be focused on how Smith performs when given more than a cameo role at full-back.

Although unlikely to start in the pressure-cooker matches due to his inexperience in the position, Borthwick appears to have found an important role for one of the most exciting talents in English rugby.

It is also a crucial match for Farrell, who needs minutes on the field after making his most recent appearance against Wales on August 12 when he was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Taine Basham.

Noel Meade is excited to see his promising juvenile Catch U Looking return to action in the Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Sixth behind subsequent Group Three winner Ylang Ylang on her debut, the daughter of Harzand opened her account in some style at the second time of asking when powering five lengths clear of her toiling rivals at Leopardstown.

Caught U Looking, who holds a Group One entry in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in mid-October, has not been seen since that dominant success two months ago, but has been pleasing her trainer at home ahead of this weekend’s Group Three assignment.

“She had a little bit of a dirty nose and we just got held up so I had to wait until now,” said Meade.

“I think she’s in good shape and I’d be expecting a good run.”

Another Meade runner who will head to the Curragh with claims this weekend is Jesse Evans, who is due to contest the Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch.

The seven-year-old has won his last two races on the Flat, with a narrow defeat to Zarak The Brave in the Galway Hurdle sandwiched in between.

Meade is keen for him to line up in the €600,000 showpiece, even if conditions may not be ideal.

He added: “The ground is the danger, if it gets very soft that might be a problem, but we’ll run anyway as it’s worth a lot of money.”

Andy Farrell believes the rest of the world expects Ireland to lose to South Africa and insists the mouthwatering Paris showdown is not a “do-or-die” fixture.

Test rugby’s top-ranked nation face a stern examination of their World Cup credentials as they prepare to put their 15-match winning run on the line against the formidable reigning champions in Pool B’s headline clash.

The physical Springboks have made a statement of intent by naming an imposing seven-one split of forwards and backs on the bench.

Ireland head coach Farrell talked down the significance of that tactical decision and urged his players to focus on their own performance in their bid to defy the bookmakers and their doubters at Stade de France.

“It doesn’t really bother me at all,” the Englishman said of South Africa’s so-called ‘Bomb Squad’. “It’s just about us.

“We have to be good, we have to play really well to beat the world champions.

“And rightly so because they’re in good form and, barring us and our team, our management and the Irish people all over the world, I think everyone else thinks that they’re the favourites and they’re going to win this game.

“I can see why because of the form that they’ve showed in the last couple of games but we don’t think like that. We’re ready for a tough battle and it will take it’s own course, I’m sure.

“It’s not a must-win. It’s not a do-or-die type of game but it’s pretty important to both teams, let’s put it that way.”

Ireland have the chance to qualify for the quarter-finals with a game to spare following crushing bonus-point victories over Romania and Tonga.

Farrell’s men have won 27 of their last 29 Test matches, including beating the Springboks 19-16 in Dublin last autumn.

Yet one of the two defeats during the remarkable run of form came in Paris – a 30-24 loss to France in last year’s Six Nations.

“Our journey’s had all sorts and it prepares you for games like this,” continued Farrell. “I suppose we’ll learn a bit more after this one as well.

“There will be over 30,000 Irish supporters there in a stadium we know well and we want to get back there and get back to winning ways there.

“It’s a challenge that we’re ready for, looking forward to, and it’s coming soon.”

Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park replaces Conor Murray in the only change to Ireland’s starting XV, while first-choice hooker Dan Sheehan is in line for his World Cup debut after being named on the bench following a foot injury.

Captain Johnny Sexton wants to reward the travelling fans with another statement win after thousands of green jerseys flooded Bordeaux and Nantes on the previous two weekends.

“I don’t think I’ve played a game here where we’ll have the majority of the support,” said the 38-year-old, who will partner the returning Gibson-Park.

“The support we get for World Cups in particular, it’s incredible.

“Last week in the stadium there was just green everywhere, the week before the same, and I’m sure it will be the same again.

“So it’s hats off to the people that put their hand in their pocket and come over.

“It means a lot to us and we hope we give them something to cheer about.

“We’re going to have to be in top form to get a result.”

William Haggas appears to have found Aldaary an excellent opportunity to open his account for the campaign in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury on Friday.

The winner of two valuable handicaps at Ascot in two weeks a couple of years ago, the five-year-old successfully stepped up to Listed class in the Spring Trophy at Haydock last season, but that proved to be his only competitive start in 2022.

He has failed to add to his tally since returning from over 400 days on the sidelines, but was unfortunate to bump into subsequent Grade One winner Master Of The Seas in the Summer Mile at Ascot in July and was last seen finishing fourth behind Paddington in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Dropping down in trip and distance for this seven-furlong Listed event, Aldaary sets a high standard, although one of his biggest threats could prove to be his stablemate Al Mubhir, who has winning form in soft ground and was a big eyecatcher when eighth in the Golden Mile at Goodwood last month.

Haggas said: “They both love heavy ground and it has been a while since we’ve had heavy ground and there has been a race in which they can run.

“I didn’t have either of them in at Sandown this week because I didn’t think the ground would get that bad, but I had them both in at Newbury so they’ll both have to run, which is a shame.

“Aldaary is the best horse of the two but he really loves bottomless ground, it can’t be heavy enough, so I was a little bit disappointed with him against Paddington.

“Both of them want a mile really, but hopefully they’ll run a good race. I don’t really want to run them against each other, but they have biggish targets at the end of the year so they need a run to get back into the groove.”

Streets Of Gold was placed in the Surrey Stakes at Epsom and the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot during the summer, but failed to fire in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.

The three-year-old was subsequently gelded and his trainer Eve Johnson Houghton was encouraged by his comeback run when fifth in the Listed Hopeful Stakes last month.

She said: “I’m really happy with him and we’ll take a view on the ground. He won on soft ground last year, so we’ll think about it anyway.

“I was happy with his last run, really pleased, and I definitely think he’s come forward from that.”

Other contenders include Ralph Beckett’s course and distance winner Biggles and the consistent Popmaster from Ed Walker’s yard.

The Haynes, Hanson And Clark Novice Stakes is a race with a rich history, with equine greats such as Shergar (1980), Rainbow Quest (1983) and Nayef (2000) all featuring on the roll of honour.

Nayef, who subsequently won the Champion Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic, Juddmonte International and Prince of Wales’s Stakes, is one of a record five previous winners of the race for trainer Marcus Tregoning, who is this year represented by Shadwell-owned newcomer Mufid.

Recalling Nayef’s debut win, Tregoning said: “We were pretty confident and in actual fact the reason we ran him in this race was because he was quite tricky in the stalls at home and I thought we might be better running in a conditions race rather than a maiden because there’d be less runners.

“He was a very good two-year-old, obviously, and went on to become a multiple Group One winner, so he was exceptionally good.”

It would be fanciful at this stage to suggest Mufid could go on to scale such lofty heights and Tregoning is just hoping for a positive performance in what will be testing conditions.

He added: “He’s by Lope De Vega, who has obviously had a very good year, and he’s out of a Sea The Stars mare, so he’s always given me the impression a mile will suit him really well.

“It’s his first run and we like him, but it’s a job to know (what to expect) when he’s running on heavy ground first time out.

“I hope he’ll run a nice race, but it’s a good race, as it always is. You’ve got horses in there with winning form on soft ground, but it will be particularly testing, I think.”

Roger Varian’s Defiance is a non-runner, but once-raced maiden winners Royal Supremacy (Andrew Balding) and Blue Lemons (Richard Hannon) take their chance, while King’s Gambit (Harry and Roger Charlton) won on his second start over the course and distance and also features.

Blair Kinghorn is relishing his elevated status as Scotland’s first-choice World Cup full-back after spending most of his international career to date trying to emerge from the shadows of greats Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg.

The 26-year-old Edinburgh back has accumulated 47 caps since his debut in 2018, largely due to his versatility in being able to operate at number 15, number 10 and even on the wing.

In trying to establish himself at full-back, Kinghorn found Hogg – Scotland’s record try-scorer – blocking his way to a starting place, while his bid to become an international stand-off always seemed unlikely for as long as the talismanic Russell was still at the top of his game.

Hogg’s retirement earlier this summer, however, opened the door for Kinghorn to set about making the 15 jersey his own.

After starting the two summer Tests against France last month, it came as little surprise when he got the nod over the less experienced full-back Ollie Smith to start the World Cup opener against South Africa.

He is expected to retain his place for Sunday’s match against Tonga in Nice as the Scots bid to bounce back from their 18-3 defeat by the Springboks.

“I feel like there’s been a different focus this pre-season, coming into the World Cup feeling like I can grab a starting jersey,” he said.

“Being able to start at 15 is something I don’t want to let go of and something I don’t take lightly.

“I’m really excited about it. Everyone always wants to be starting for their country and now that I’ve had the opportunity to start the last game, and a couple of the warm-up games to start at 15, it’s been really exciting for me.

“There’s still a lot of competition in our squad for that jersey, everyone is pushing each other, so I’ve just got to keep training well and playing well, if selected, and hopefully I can hang on to it for a while longer.”

For much of 2022, amid tension between Gregor Townsend and Russell, it looked like Kinghorn was being primed as a Scotland fly-half.

However, with Russell and the head coach having patched up their differences last November, Kinghorn’s hopes of becoming number 10 for the national team were effectively dashed.

“I think so,” he said when asked if his focus was now fully on the full-back position. “I feel comfortable back there. I’ve got the ability to cover stand-off if needed but I feel like full-back is my best suited position at the moment, and I feel like that’s where I can offer the team my strengths.”

Kinghorn knows he has big boots to fill in succeeding Hogg, one of Scotland’s greatest ever players, but he is intent on playing the position his own way.

“Obviously Hoggy was a world-class player so over the last five years since I’ve been in camp with him I’ve been picking up little bits of knowledge here and there from him, but I’m looking to put my own game into that 15 jersey,” he said.

“A lot of players play in different styles and I think me and Hoggy have contrasting styles in certain ways, but I’ll be looking to put my own stamp on the position.”

Kinghorn is enjoying his second World Cup after going to Japan in 2019 as a 22-year-old. The back was a fringe man at the last showpiece, making just two appearances and only one as a starter. He feels he has developed significantly as a player and a person since then.

“I was inexperienced and quite young when I came to my first World Cup,” said Kinghorn. “You grow and mature into these situations and you realise how hard it is to stay at the top of your game for an entire pre-season and World Cup.

“You’ve got to take your preparation and your recovery seriously. I think when you’re younger you’re a bit naive to how much work it actually takes so I feel like I’m a more mature player who has definitely dealt with a bit more life experience within rugby and I can handle situations a bit better.”

Giavellotto will head to Qipco Champions Day or be put away until next season after connections shelved the idea of having a tilt at this year’s Melbourne Cup.

A narrow winner of the Yorkshire Cup in the spring, Marco Botti’s stable star has since finished fifth in the Goodwood Cup and third in the Lonsdale Cup back at York last month.

Given Giavellotto’s preference for a sound surface, a trip to Australia appeared an attractive proposition – but with the stringent veterinary checks required to contest the Flemington showpiece seemingly a factor, he will not contest the ‘race that stops a nation’ in early November.

“He’s in good form and has come out of the race at York in fine shape, but we’re not going to Australia,” said Botti.

“There were a few niggling problems and it’s not going to happen this year unfortunately. He’s fine, but there were concerns we might get him there and he wouldn’t be able to run or whatever, so we just decided bypass it for this year.

“Hopefully next year if we still have him and everything is going well then we can think about it as the Melbourne Cup is a race the owners would love to go for, and the race and the track would suit him as he seems to go on left-handed tracks.”

With the Melbourne Cup ruled out, the only viable option left for Giavellotto this season is the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup on October 21, but the prospect of demanding conditions at Ascot is an obvious concern.

“We’ll keep an eye on the weather as he will only go to Ascot if the ground is not too soft. Good to soft is fine, but he wouldn’t want to run on anything softer than that,” Botti added.

“If he doesn’t go to Ascot we’ll just put him away for the winter.

“We haven’t discussed plans for next year with the owners yet. I wouldn’t rule out going back to Dubai World Cup night for the Gold Cup, but let’s see how he winters and how he is after a nice break.”

Heredia could get her shot a big-race glory next month with connections indicating they are likely to supplement the thriving four-year-old for the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

The Richard Hannon-trained filly gave owners St Albans Bloodstock a day to remember when landing the Sandringham at Royal Ascot in 2022, but despite being a consistent performer, it was over a year before she notched up her next victory in the Dick Hern Stakes at Haydock last month.

It was a switch to again racing over a mile that signalled the return to winning ways on Merseyside and she quickly added to her tally with a career-best effort in the Group Three Atalanta Stakes at Sandown.

The Heredia team now appear ready to pay the £20,000 supplementary fee to roll the dice at Group One level, where rivals could include John and Thady Gosden’s Inspiral.

“We’ve all had a chat and we we’re absolutely delighted with Sandown,” said Richard Brown, racing manager for the owners.

“She is a filly on a sharp upwards curve and when fillies do that you don’t know how far they can go, so we’ll most likely supplement her for the Sun Chariot.”

Queen’s Guard will seek to take a step forward in the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr.

The Michael Bell-trained filly was fourth on debut at Doncaster in July and was then a smart winner of a keenly-contested Yarmouth maiden early in August.

Both races were over six furlongs, and the daughter of Havana Grey now steps down to five to bid for black-type form in Listed company.

“We’re dropping back to five furlongs, she’s got bundles of speed in her pedigree,” said Bell.

“Although she’s the most inexperienced, the way she won at Yarmouth would fully justify the decision to run her in this.”

Queen’s Guard made her debut on soft ground and won on good the next time, with Bell expecting her to prove to be versatile in terms of surface.

He said: “I think she’ll go with cut, I think she just got very tired on debut.

“I don’t think she’ll be inconvenienced by the ground, she just took a big blow (at Doncaster), I think he’s actually quite flexible on ground conditions.”

Also set to contest the five-furlong event is Andrew Balding’s Purosangue, second behind Big Evs in the Molecomb at Goodwood and second again in the Roses Stakes at York when last seen.

Karl Burke’s Beautiful Diamond lines up having been beaten a length and a half in the Group Two Lowther on her last start, with Brian Meehan’s Group One-placed Toca Madera and Kevin Ryan’s Mon Na Slieve both set to compete.

Richard Fahey’s Bombay Bazaar and Craig Lidster’s Alfa Moonstone complete the group of seven.

A field of 13 have assembled for the Listed Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes, with Queen Me a leading fancy. Kevin Ryan also saddles Silent Words.

The Fahey-trained Marine Wave and William Haggas’ Pink Diamond both have chances, as does Ralph Beckett’s Funny Story, second by a neck in a Listed event at Pontefract.

Michael Dods runs last year’s winner Gale Force Maya and George Boughey is responsible for the internationally-campaigned Perdika.

There is a sole Irish-trained runner in Fozzy Stack’s Aussie Girl, runner-up in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes and a filly who has been unfailingly consistent all season.

Nick Bradley has a pair of runners in Karl Burke’s Secret Angel and Grant Tuer’s Sophia’s Starlight, with David Evans’ Radio Goo Goo, Ed Walker’s Rum Cocktail and Richard Spencer’s Sweet Harmony completing the line-up.

Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park has been recalled in the only change to Ireland’s starting XV for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup showdown with reigning champions South Africa in Paris.

Gibson-Park, who sat out his side’s 59-16 win over Tonga, will resume his half-back partnership with captain Johnny Sexton at Stade de France, with Conor Murray dropping to the bench.

Hooker Dan Sheehan is in line for his first appearance since suffering a foot injury in last month’s warm-up win over England after being named among the replacements.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has stuck with a five-three split of forwards and backs on the bench for the standout fixture in Pool B, despite the Springboks opting for a bold seven-one selection.

Prop Finlay Bealham is among those in reserve after satisfying head injury assessments following his early withdrawal last weekend.

Centre Bundee Aki, the tournament’s leading try scorer with four after doubles against Romania and Tonga, will win his 50th Ireland cap, while flanker Peter O’Mahony will make his 100th Test appearance, including one for the British and Irish Lions.

The world’s top-ranked nation have the chance to secure a quarter-final spot as they go in search of a 16th consecutive win, a run which includes a 19-16 Dublin success over South Africa in November.

Hooker Ronan Kelleher and props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong continue in an all-Leinster front row, ahead of locks Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan.

O’Mahony is again joined in the back row by number eight Caelan Doris and reigning world player of the year Josh van der Flier.

Garry Ringrose and the in-form Aki link up in midfield, with full-back Hugo Keenan in a familiar back three alongside wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe.

Sheehan, Bealham and Murray are joined on the bench by Dave Kilcoyne, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Jack Crowley and Robbie Henshaw.

Rob Herring, Craig Casey and Ross Byrne drop out of the matchday 23.

Ireland team: H Keenan (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), G Ringrose (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster, capt), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), J Ryan (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), J Van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster).

Replacements: D Sheehan (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), F Bealham (Connacht), I Henderson (Ulster), R Baird (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), R Henshaw (Leinster).