Ben Earl admitted it was his England career igniting that convinced him to re-sign with Saracens and play his part in lifting the domestic club out of the doldrums.
Earlier this week Earl signed a long-term contract with the Gallagher Premiership champions to continue his upward trajectory in a 2023 that has produced his first Test start and selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad.
Now that rampaging displays against Argentina, Japan and Chile have impressed audiences in France, he has become one of Borthwick’s star performers, who is set to be restored to the back row against Samoa on Saturday.
Having struggled to convince Eddie Jones and then being discarded by Borthwick in the Six Nations earlier this year in order to work on his conditioning, the 25-year-old admits he was considering his options overseas until his England outlook changed.
“You never shut that door. I guess it is a lot easier to move abroad if you are not playing for England,” Earl said.
“If you are not in the picture, it can be nice sometimes to have a change of scene, but thankfully at the moment I’m playing for England and that made my decision for me.
“Steve has always been very honest with me about what it would take for me to play for England and hopefully I’m starting to make some steps in those directions.
“Now it is just a no-brainer, I’m fully focussed on playing for Saracens and hopefully for England for a long time.”
Earl has chosen to stay in the Gallagher Premiership during a period of upheaval.
Jersey Reds’ announcement last week that they had entered administration lifts the total of professional clubs to have gone out of business in the past year to four, painting a grim picture of the finances of the English game.
A closer relationship between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby is set to produce a series of ‘hybrid contracts’ that will give Borthwick greater control over around 20 of his Tests stars.
Earl would be a prime candidate for one of the contracts that would see a player’s club receive greater compensation and he believes his generation has a role to play in restoring the sport to health.
“We are hearing good things about the plans for the league over the next couple of years – salary cap stuff and commercial stuff. We are already seeing some small changes and that can only be a good thing,” he said.
“There have been times when players have shut themselves off from the commercial side of the game.
“And we as a younger generation in terms of coming through and taking on the mantle of the league, we need to be a bit more open by putting ourselves out there.
“We’ve had some talks with the league. We’re asking for a bit more, they’re asking for a bit more. Everyone is willing and saying the right things, so hopefully that’s a step in the right direction.”
Bill Sweeney is confident he remains the right man to lead the Rugby Football Union despite the English game being mired in crisis and claims that “we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular”.
Four professional clubs have collapsed in just over a year – Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey Reds – while in January the Rugby Football Union triggered a grassroots revolt through its handling of the tackle height being lowered at community level.
On the eve of England’s victory over Argentina that opened the World Cup last month, RFU council members sent a letter to the board raising concerns over the leadership of chief executive Sweeney and chair Tom Ilube.
Sweeney stated that the “cynical” rebellion had been faced down at Friday’s council meeting, adding that it was staged by a “small group of people who are no longer in the game or have agendas that are not necessarily in the best interests of the game”.
At the elite level England have not finished above third place in the the Six Nations since 2020 and sacked Eddie Jones in December, giving his replacement Steve Borthwick just eight months to prepare for the World Cup.
“It’s probably for others to say if they don’t feel I am the right person to do it,” Sweeney said.
“I personally feel I am given my experience, given my background and my balance of business and sport. I feel I am the right person to do that.
“I came into this role for one simple reason and it’s because I’m very passionate about this game.
“There’s probably a large number of my friends and family who would be quite happy if I didn’t do it any longer. But I do believe that we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular here.
“This has been a unique moment in time because of the financial challenges, because of the working relationship with Premiership Rugby, our ability to change that relationship around the partnership, to fix the things that have stopped us winning Six Nations on a regular basis.
“The work that we’re doing in World Rugby around Nations Cup, the global calendar – that all plays into this as well.
“I feel that I have the energy, I’ve got the passion and I’ve got the desire to see this through. Now if somebody else thinks differently about that, that’s also equally fine.
“You don’t wake up every morning enjoying it, but that’s the reason why I would like to carry on.”
Sweeney was accused by a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing last November of being “completely asleep on the job” and told that he should consider resigning in response to the financial crisis that led to Wasps and Worcester entering administration.
The Twickenham chief has promised structural reform “to fix a number of issues that have been broken for some time”, thereby ending the “boom and bust periods when it is more based on hope”.
Sweeney confirmed that negotiations are proceeding for 25 England players to be placed on ‘hybrid contracts’ that would give Borthwick more control of his most important internationals.
Niall Huggins’ brilliant first goal in professional football helped Sunderland to stay fourth in the Championship courtesy of a 2-0 win over Watford.
It was a goal to remember for the 22-year-old full-back, who moved from Leeds two years ago, after his thunderous effort flew in off the underside of the bar two minutes before half-time.
And this young Sunderland side went on to claim a sixth win from their last eight matches after Abdoullah Ba’s 62nd-minute header left Watford wondering when things will take a turn for the better.
The Hornets, who handed head coach Valerien Ismael a contract extension on Tuesday, have only won once since the opening weekend of the season and sit 21st.
Watford’s miserable night got worse with three minutes remaining when substitute Ryan Andrews was given a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Jack Clarke on halfway.
Huggins’ opener arrived out of the blue. Even though Sunderland controlled much of the possession for the first half an hour they had very little to show for it.
Patrick Roberts looked lively when he was on the ball but the only time the home side tested the goalkeeper was when Jobe Bellingham drove low into Daniel Bachmann’s arms.
Other than that Watford grew in confidence as the half wore on and had worked Anthony Patterson from distance too.
Tom Ince and Giorgi Chakvetadze, making his first start since moving on loan from Gent, both curled efforts into the arms of the Sunderland goalkeeper.
Just when it seemed Watford might gain an advantage a crucial two minutes arrived just before the break and ended with the home side leading.
Moments after referee Andy Davies allowed play to go on despite Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien appearing to consciously barge into Watford’s Francisco Sierralta at one end, there was a moment of brilliance at the other.
Sunderland worked their way through the lines before Huggins took over on the right. He worked his way inside, beating Chakvetadze and then Wesley Hoedt, before his rasping 18-yard drive flew in off the bar.
There were Watford complaints to the official as the two teams left the field and after the restart the visitors started the brighter without finding the net.
Sunderland created the best of the second-half chances. Dan Ballard headed over from Roberts’ back post free-kick on the hour.
Soon after that it was 2-0. When striker Mason Burstow clipped a cross to the back post, Bellingham headed back across the six-yard box where Ba was on hand to nod high into the net.
After that it became a routine night. Substitute Adil Aouchiche had an effort cleared off the line by Ryan Porteous after he ran clean through and there was no way back after Andrews saw red.
Haji Wright headed a late winner as Coventry made it consecutive wins with a 1-0 victory over Blackburn.
The Sky Blues had hit the crossbar three times on the night, firstly through Matty Godden and Bobby Thomas, before Yasin Ayari’s effort rebounded off the woodwork only for Wright to nod home five minutes from time.
The American’s second Sky Blues goal since his summer arrival from Antalyaspor condemned Rovers to their fourth straight defeat, with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men having conceded 12 in the process.
Rovers hit the crossbar themselves in the first half through on-loan Bournemouth defender James Hill, while Sammie Szmodics saw an early effort curl wide of Ben Wilson’s goal after good work from Tyrhys Dolan.
Mark Robins’ Sky Blues pipped their visitors to a play-off place by one point last season, but the two came into the clash languishing in 14th and 18th in the league table after slow starts to the campaign.
Hill went closest in a subdued first half when he crashed his thunderous effort against the crossbar, in what would have been a memorable way to mark the 21-year-old’s first league start for Rovers.
Ellis Simms had opened his Sky Blues account with a brace against QPR in a welcome 3-1 win for Coventry at the weekend, but was kept quiet by the Rovers back-line which included former Sky Blue Dominic Hyam.
Injury-plagued Coventry skipper Liam Kelly hobbled off 25 minutes into the contest and was replaced by Brighton loanee Ayari, who could have opened the scoring immediately for the hosts.
He was picked out in acres of space in the box by Jay Dasilva, but scuffed his effort.
Coventry rattled the crossbar for the first time merely 30 seconds after the restart when Sweden international Ayari cut back for Godden, but the Sky Blues’ top scorer could only lift his effort against the woodwork from close range.
Blackburn had the ball in the net shortly after as Brighton loanee Andrew Moran celebrated what would have been his first career goal to a chorus of boos from the home crowd.
However, after consulting his assistant, referee Jeremy Simpson deemed Moran had fouled goalkeeper Wilson by kicking the ball out of his hands and tapping home, keeping things all square.
The goal in front of the traveling support was living a charmed life as Thomas was next to hit the woodwork, latching onto an out-swinging corner and firing his effort against Leopold Wahlstedt’s crossbar.
Substitute Arnor Sigurdsson should have ended Coventry’s unbeaten home record when he found himself through on goal with two for company, but his tame effort was straight at the chest of the Sky Blues stopper.
But on 85 minutes Coventry got the luck they felt they had deserved.
Ayari’s effort rebounded off the crossbar before the Sky Blues’ record signing nodded home to secure Coventry’s second home win of the season.
Leicester reclaimed the Championship summit after two second-half goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall either side of a Kelechi Iheanacho strike clinched a 3-0 win at home to promotion rivals Preston.
The victory – the Foxes’ ninth in 10 Championship outings – lifted them back above Ipswich, who had moved a point clear on Tuesday by beating Hull.
Referee Thomas Bramall took charge of this one after initial choice Darren England was stood down as a result of the fallout over his error as VAR in Liverpool’s Premier League loss at Tottenham on Saturday.
Leicester bossed the early possession as third-placed Preston looked to catch them on a counter-attack but Abdul Fatawu’s shot – high and wide from a tricky angle – was all the hosts had to show for the first 10 minutes.
Preston fancied their chances from set-pieces but Jack Whatmough, one of four changes following Saturday’s 4-0 loss at home to West Brom, saw his header from Robbie Brady’s free-kick drop well wide.
Stephy Mavididi’s quick feet saw him skip past challengers to get into the Preston box on the left but when he slipped in Dewsbury-Hall he was denied by Liam Lindsay’s vital sliding block.
Leicester were looking frustrated, prompting defender Wout Faes to have a go from distance and the Belgian scuffed it wide.
Referee Bramall was the centre of attention in the 37th minute by ignoring home shouts for a penalty when Liam Millar barged Mavididi over.
The half’s clearest chance fell to Preston but Duane Holmes, played through on the left by Ali McCann, fired wide with only goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to beat.
The second period began with Wilfred Ndidi heading wide of the Preston goal and Dewsbury-Hall curling an effort that also failed to trouble North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Holmes was soon back causing trouble at the other end however – and this time he forced Hermansen into a diving save with a low drive.
Leicester broke the deadlock on the hour – and required a slice of good fortune to do so as Ndidi’s ball towards Jamie Vardy was inadvertently played towards his own goal by McCann, allowing Dewsbury-Hall to seize upon it and slot across Woodman.
Leicester made sure of the points with a 76th-minute clincher from Iheanacho.
Dewsbury-Hall moved swiftly to play Ndidi into a position where he could square the ball across the box for the striker to make a simple back-post finish.
Preston thought they had pulled one back through Ben Woodburn but referee Bramall penalised the substitute for a pull on Faes’ shirt.
Dewsbury-Hall made it 3-0 in the 90th minute on the rebound after Woodman had parried Iheanacho’s shot. Iheanacho had started the move himself with a ball to fellow sub Marc Albrighton.
Former FIFA referee Duarte Gomes has leapt to the defence of VAR amid the furore surrounding Liverpool's Premier League defeat to Tottenham, calling the technology's introduction "the best thing to happen to football".
The use of VAR is a hot topic in the English top flight again after Luis Diaz was incorrectly denied a goal in Liverpool's 2-1 loss to in-form Spurs.
Darren England – the VAR official on duty at the time – misunderstood the on-field call to chalk the goal off for offside, inadvertently clearing an incorrect decision.
Liverpool have reacted furiously to the incident, which played a part in their first defeat of the season, with boss Jurgen Klopp suggesting the game should be replayed on Wednesday.
However, Gomes – a retired Portuguese referee who officiated in FIFA and UEFA competitions between 2002 and 2016 – says the ability of those using the technology is the issue, not the technology itself.
Speaking to Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit, Gomes admitted officials were still adapting to the technology but said it had already righted "thousands" of incorrect decisions.
"I don't have the slightest doubt that it's the best thing that's happened to football and to referees for decades," Gomes said.
"I know that we have a big, long way to run yet. It's not perfect, far from that. People who work with VAR are also learning and they are focused always on their careers as a referee on the pitch.
"The process of decision-making was completely different, and then you put them in a room with many screens and tell them to decide in a different way they have to adjust.
"As with everybody, there are some people who have more competence than others. We are now on that trail to try to be there.
"Nevertheless, in factual decisions, let's say, for example, offsides or with goal-line technology, I believe that around the world, thousands and thousands of goals have been saved or cancelled correctly after VAR.
"So yes, it's good for football. It's a Ferrari, you just have to have the right driver to be there.
"I've made many mistakes with the human eye; penalties, decisions, yellow or red cards, things that I missed. VAR could help me a lot. I would have been a better referee if I had it."
Gomes also believes, however, that technology cannot become all-invasive in football, emphasising the need to preserve the emotional nature of the sport.
"I'm a little concerned about AI in the future, of course also in refereeing matters. I believe it will have an important role," he added.
"Sitting here right now, I don't know if I will have a different way of thinking in 10 years. We are always adjusting, but I believe technology should always help until the point that humans decide.
"Human first, technology after, not the other way around because football is for people. It's played for people, with people, and refereed with people, and that's what gives the emotion.
"If you become very technological, it's very difficult to have an emotional sport and then it will lose many of its values, so yes, technology is always to help, not as a substitute for the referee."
Gomes also feels the rise of social media has had a major impact on the levels of abuse received by officials. In a high-profile incident from last season, Roma boss Jose Mourinho was given a four-match ban by UEFA for angrily confronting referee Anthony Taylor after his team lost the Europa League final.
"I believe it's getting worse because social media gives the right to everybody to criticise, especially the ones who didn't do it with a public voice before," he said.
"Football is a social phenomenon and it's unique because it can put you in a very emotional state, sometimes an irrational state, which is worse.
"You cannot ask people to be reasonable when they have their emotions so strongly attached to their teams and their competitions.
"Sometimes you have to let the balloon go down a little bit and then ask them for some tolerance again. Nobody wants to hear the explanation of law one or law two, [but] you have to do it slowly, you have to try and try."
All is now set for the third edition of the Wray & Nephew Fight Night, and if the promise of the eight boxers on the card is anything to go by, then patrons will be in for a treat at the Ebony Vale Community Centre in Spanish Town on Saturday.
The main bout will see Jamaica Defence Force's Ian "Impact" Darby, in his first professional fight on local soil and he is brimming with confidence that his rival Fabian "Truck" Tucker will not last beyond the second round.
"The training level has been intense. We have a concept in the army that whatever task we are given, we must be prepared for it and so the Impact is well prepared. All thanks to my team, I am ready to come and showcase what I have been doing in my preparation for this fight. I am saying second round, knockout. The Impact is going to be victorious," he declared.
However, Tucker has other ideas.
"He is going to come under a lot of pressure because I am short, and he is tall, so I am going to stick on him the whole night. I will say maybe the third round (to knockout the opponent), definitely maybe the third round," said Tucker, who added that his preparation had gone well.
For the first time since its inception, there will be a female match-up in the series. National representative Sherikee Moore will face off with Shanika "G Girl" Gordon.
Gordon explained that she is fit and ready, especially with her army background.
"They (spectators) should come out and watch this fight card because I know I will do my best. I will provide proper technique and everything because I am doing what I love so I Know I will put in the work," she said.
Moore echoed similar sentiments.
"You can expect the best as always. I'll come out and do my best, show my styles and my techniques. As for my opponent, the only thing I expect her to have over me is the fitness. I do believe I still have the fitness as well, although she might have more fitness than I do, so it's not going to be challenging. I think I'll handle this, and I'll do my best."
Meanwhile, National coach Felipe Sanchez who is responsible for putting the fight card together, is very upbeat about the prospects.
"Something that is particularly interesting to me is that we have three of Jamaica's national boxers fighting other boxers. So here, we are going to see if they are still the sharpest or are there other sharper tools in the shed. So, this is going to be very interesting to see if they keep their crown or if we have new rising stars on our hands so that is something interesting to look out for because nobody wants to go back to their gym or hometown to say I lost and worst when it's on national television," the coach reasoned.
President of the Jamaica Boxing Association Stephen Bomber Jones lauded the partnership with Wray & Nephew in bringing back high-quality boxing on a consistent basis.
"It feels like our relationship is getting even stronger because it's not uncommon. Everybody understand that two of the bigger facets of Jamaica is our sports and our music and Wray & Nephew being committed and aligned with boxing for so many years not only makes sure that these shows get the production that is necessary, and the boxers get the platform, but they are now incorporating sport and music together by bringing an entertainment package at the end of each show and this Saturday we will have Capleton finishing off the festivities.
"So, the fireworks are going to be there early, from our amateur boxers to the pros, and the community and venue being such a beautiful venue, I think it's going to be a fantastic night of boxing, so I am looking forward to it," Jones noted.
Other boxers on the card are:
Amateurs
Kimarley Samuels vs Kevon Mckenzie
Calvin Mignott vs Shiaeine Blake
Sanji Williams (national boxer) vs Kirk Heron
Demar Haslam vs Delano McLaughlin
Jaden Eccleston vs Roberto William
Ackeem Allen vs Daniel Hylton (national boxer)
Professionals
Renaldo Beckford vs Cleveland Stevenson
Janathan Hason vs challenger to be announced
While Alan Smith accepts Liverpool have every right to be hurt by the VAR error which cost them in Saturday's loss to Tottenham, he thinks Jurgen Klopp's team have no choice but to move on.
PGMOL, the body responsible for match officials in English football, admitted a "significant human error" was committed when the decision to disallow Luis Diaz's first-half strike – which was flagged offside – was not overturned.
The audio recording of the decision-making process surrounding the incident was made public on Tuesday, revealing VAR Darren England misunderstood the nature of the on-field decision when clearing the check.
Diaz's wrongly disallowed effort occurred when the game was goalless, with Liverpool down to 10 men following Curtis Jones' straight red card.
Diogo Jota was also sent off in the second half before Joel Matip's stoppage-time own goal handed Spurs a dramatic 2-1 victory, maintaining their flying start to the Premier League season.
Liverpool subsequently said the "sporting integrity" of the game had been "undermined" in a statement, and boss Klopp made further headlines on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool's Europa League fixture against Union SG, Klopp called for the Spurs game to be replayed, labelling the situation "unprecedented".
While Arsenal great Smith has sympathy for Liverpool, he maintains the Reds have no option but to accept they were wronged.
Speaking to Stats Perform at the Legends of Football event, in aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Smith said: "I was amazed when they played on and the offside was upheld.
"It was a lack of communication, big time.
"I can't understand how that happened, but it's not great because it casts a shadow over the game, over VAR especially, and Liverpool are clearly very upset.
"You can't blame them, but I think you've just got to suck it up and carry on really. It's done. It's done now."
The incident has sparked further debate about the impact and implementation of VAR, but former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says the technology will become more effective as time goes on, calling for supporters to "stick with it".
"Well, it comes down to two words, human error, and that's going to happen," Dein said. "People have got to understand.
"I'm a great supporter of VAR. Before VAR came in, the referees were making one game-changing error every three games. That's been reduced dramatically.
"You'll see as the years go by. It's still in its infancy. It only came in the World Cup in Russia in 2018. That was when VAR was really introduced.
"It's going to get better and more efficient as time goes on. I'm a great supporter. You've got to stick with it."
Arsenal Women's manager Jonas Eidevall was also speaking at the event, and he outlined his belief that semi-automatic offside technology – which is used in UEFA competitions – should be adopted by PGMOL.
"With VAR, as long as there is a human element to it, there can always be human errors," Eidevall said.
"If you do the semi-automatic offside technology, you don't really have a human element to that and you get less errors. So I think that's a good example. Goal-line technology is another one.
"The referees are also going to get better, over time, at working with a system like VAR. That's also very obvious and they will also learn things every season. They want to get things right."
Meanwhile, VAR – and goal-line technology – was a hot topic across the opening weekend of the Women's Super League season, with officials failing to award Guro Reiten a goal despite the ball clearly crossing the line in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Asked if he expected VAR to grace the league soon, Eidevall said: "Yes, I do. I think that's where the development is heading. I don't know if that's next season or the season after.
"I think when we do, if we implement it, it has to be the full version.
"What I don't want to see in the women's game is for them to implement a cheaper version of VAR with less camera angles. That makes it really difficult for the referees to see the situations."
Star wide receiver Cooper Kupp returned to practise on Wednesday, and could be back on the field as early as Sunday for the Los Angeles Rams' home game against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
Kupp injured his hamstring during training camp in early August, and the team placed him on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least four games.
The Rams announced Wednesday, they've designated Kupp to return, starting his 21-day practise window. He can be activated at any point over the next three weeks, or the team will be forced to shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Los Angeles coach Sean McVay, however, has hinted his return could be imminent.
If Kupp does suit up against 4-0 Philadelphia, it's uncertain if he'll be on a play count, as it would be his first game since Week 10 of the 2022 season after he missed the final eight contests with an ankle injury.
Kupp had 75 receptions for 812 yards and six TDs last year before getting hurt following a sensational 2021 season that saw him be named the Offensive Player of the Year.
Two seasons ago, Kupp led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), then added six scores during the Rams’ playoff run that ended with a title and Kupp being named Super Bowl 56 MVP.
Although the Rams are missing one of the league's top receivers this season, Matthew Stafford has found a new favourite target to keep the offence rolling.
Rookie Puka Nacua leads the NFL with 39 receptions - the most by any receiver in league history through four games - while his 501 receiving yards trail only Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson's 543 for the most in the NFL. Nacua's first career touchdown was a memorable one, as he scored on a 22-yard reception in overtime last Sunday to lead the Rams to a 29-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts to improve Los Angeles to 2-2.
Another relatively unknown receiver has also stepped up for the Rams, with Tutu Atwell catching 22 passes for 270 yards.
Coolmore saw off Godolphin and Juddmonte to land a Frankel yearling for 2,000,000 guineas on the second day of the Book 1 sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
Standing in the gangway, Coolmore’s MV Magnier was determined to secure the beautifully-bred colt, consigned by Anthony Oppenheimer and Hascombe and Valiant Stud.
“He is lovely horse and from a very successful stud in Hascombe, which has bred very good horses in the past and are very good breeders,” Magnier told Tattersalls.
“This is a well-bred horse; Frankel is flying and everyone (from the Coolmore team) liked him – and he goes to Ballydoyle.”
Oppenheimer, who was sat in the ring to see his colt sell, said: “So far we have done quite well, and sold four, and we have more to sell (over the whole of the October Sale).
“There were no regrets at all when he was going around the ring. I did not think we’d get as much as that; I know he is a very nice horses – refuelling the stud’s finances and it can’t do any harm!”
Hayley Turner says she has no plans to retire having edged closer to 1,000 career winners aboard Club Manager at Nottingham.
Turner now requires five to reach the landmark number and had a willing partner at Colwick Park in the form of Andrew Balding’s four-year-old, who bettered his second at Bath last month in the testing going.
The former champion apprentice previously hung up her saddle at the end of the 2015 season only to return the following year and the 40-year-old is in no rush to depart the weighing room for a second time.
“I’m enjoying it so much,” said Turner.
“I realised when I retired before you have to actually work quite hard.
“I’ve got five to go (for 1,000) and I’m getting there slowly.”
Club Manager was sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Follow @worldpool On X Handicap, with the three-year-old thriving in his first try over two miles.
Turner added: “He’s a well-bred horse being a half-brother to Side Glance and he loved the ground and travelled very easy on it.
“Probably getting to the front two out wasn’t ideal as he can be a little bit lazy, but I kept him up to his work and he did it well.”
Tom Ward’s Our Golden One (4-1) put her experience to good use as she prevailed over the John and Thady Gosden-trained debutant Beeley in the opening HKJC Riding High Together EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
Probert said: “She was very tough. I just wanted to put her to sleep early on and do it the right way round – she was a bit keen in the early stages at Sandown and looked a touch unlucky when needing room quite late.
“She ran well in defeat there and the winner has held up her form by running quite well in a Group One.
“I think she will stay further next year and is very versatile in terms of what ground she will go on. She’s moved on that ground today like it was good ground, so she’s a likeable filly and on the improve.”
In-form trainer Ben Brookhouse took the Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap with 100-30 favourite Ray Vonn, but was denied a double when the hat-trick seeking I Still Have Faith could only finish second behind an on-song Dubai Souq (5-2) in the concluding worldpool.hkjc.com Handicap.
Saeed bin Suroor’s six-year-old had been without a victory since November 2021, but relished the testing conditions in the hands of Kieran Shoemark to register the second course-and-distance triumph of his career.
“He ran away with me really, I was a bit of a passenger,” said the winning jockey.
“He skipped clear and loves that ground. They told me to kick just before they got to me and I was a bit concerned about doing that as I thought it would be too much too early.
“But he’s a genuine type and just kept galloping. He’s won decisively so you would like to think he’s well handicapped.”
The HKIR In December Handicap went the way of the Kevin Frost-trained Spoof (9-4 favourite), who once again proved there is plenty left in the tank.
It was the eight-year-old’s fourth win since joining the Newark-based handler late last year and Frost could not hide his delight in the stalwart sprinter.
“He’s done us proud and won us plenty of prize-money,” said Frost
“The key to him is getting some soft or heavy ground. He will go on ground others won’t entertain.
“He’s a tough old lad and a typical sprinter. He’s good for me as he keeps me on my toes and you have to think about what you are doing with him every single day. You can’t do the same yesterday as you do today. You have to be mixing it up and keeping his mind right.
“He’s great and been a good old stick for us.”
There was also a fitting success for Tom Marquand on the card as he partnered Richard Price’s 14-1 shot Rhubarb to victory in the World Pool At Newmarket This Saturday Handicap.
“She’s not had much go her way this season and I had a horror story on her at Windsor,” said Marquand.
“She’s had a couple of races like that but it was nice to roll back the years and ride a winner for Richard because, to be fair, when I first started he was one of the trainers I rode the most winners for alongside Tony Carroll and of course Richard Hannon.
“It’s always a pleasure riding him a winner.”
Jos Buttler wants his England side to throw off the tag of ‘defending’ champions at the World Cup, insisting attack is the only thing on their mind in India.
Buttler remains fiercely proud of the 2019 triumph but has made it clear that the four-year-old title carries little weight once the tournament gets under way on Thursday, when England take on New Zealand in a repeat of the previous final.
The attachment to the trophy-winning side is clear – with eight of that squad on duty once again here and a ninth, Jofra Archer, in tow as a travelling reserve – but the captain is eager to draw a clear line under the past.
And that starts with banishing unhelpful terminology.
“I don’t see us as defending champions. We’re not defending anything. I want us to attack so I don’t like the word defending,” he said.
“It may be a motivation for certain teams when they’ve been in that position, but for us it’s irrelevant. It certainly is for me.
“It’s fantastic to be reigning champions and I won’t say we’ve left that behind completely because it’s a nice place to be, but you’ve given that trophy back now.
“It’s done. It’s about trying to create something new. We must be hungry to do it again and try to be focused on something different.
“I think the hunger is there. For most professional sports people, there’s always a want for more, there’s always a desire for more, a hunger for more.
“We wouldn’t be here if we were content with what we’ve done and you’re always excited for the new challenge.”
Buttler was the man who applied the finishing touch that secured England’s first World Cup at Lord’s, completing the run out that separated the two teams on the now defunct boundary countback rule, before taking over as captain for last year’s T20 success in Australia.
Having unified both white-ball crowns, the next seven weeks offer an opportunity to make it three global trophies in the space of four years.
That would be the kind of legacy to put England’s golden generation up with the very best there has been and Buttler is happy to be held to such high standards.
“We’re all dreamers and we all want to be able to say those things,” he said.
“It’s a nice place to be as an English sports team that fans expect you to do well and we’ll try our best for the fans back home and those that make it out here.
“I think the biggest thing is we know we are a team who like being in that position of having expectations on us.
“It’s a great place to be, I’d rather be there than a non-fancied side that nobody thinks has a chance.
“We’ve got some of the best players in the world in our team – that gives us a great chance.”
How much further the current team can take their story is open to debate. There are 11 thirtysomethings in the current squad of 15, including five who will be 34 by the end of the month.
A raft of retirements at the end of the World Cup would hardly be a huge surprise ahead of a new four-year cycle.
“We know we are an older squad than some and that should be a feather in everyone’s cap because of how professional we are to be playing to the standard we are at this age,” Buttler said.
“Age is not the defining factor – and we don’t need to add pressure by saying this is the last one – but I think it’s quite obvious with a few people being where they are at in their careers and the next ODI World Cup being four years away.
“But we’ll do our thing, we always try and enjoy the pleasure of playing for England. It’s a team that’s been together a long time and there’s some great friendships there and this World Cup is part of that story.
“We’ll try and make more great memories and cherish every moment as team-mates, friends and colleagues.”
The official responsible for Saturday’s VAR blunder broke his own golden rule when he wrongly ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal for Liverpool at Tottenham, a new book has revealed.
Darren England submitted to a Q&A for ‘The Football School Encyclopedia’ in which, asked ‘What is the hardest part of the job?’ he responds: “Making sure you do not make a mistake that impacts the outcome of the match.
“This is the worst thing for us.”
By a remarkable quirk of timing, the book, which is written by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton and aimed at younger readers, will be published on Thursday and offers insight into one of those responsible for what veteran former referee Keith Hackett described in the Telegraph as an episode of “staggering incompetence”.
England and his VAR assistant Dan Cook have been stood down from future appointments while Professional Game Match Officials Limited chiefs undertake a full review of the “significant human error” that it concedes was made during the game.
In the Q&A, which was conducted prior to the incident, England continues: “I try to prepare the same way for every match, which is to stay calm and relaxed.
“During the match I remain very focused and just take each decision I need to make, one at a time.
“I do not worry about past decisions in the game as it is all about the next decision.”
The Football School Encyclopedia is aimed at younger readers and boasts its appeal to “anyone with a thirst for knowledge, amazing true stories, terrific trivia, brain-busting quizzes, eye-popping colour, laugh-out-loud cartoons on every page – and everything you want to know about football!”
Former high-quality Flat performer Wordsworth made an impressive stable debut over hurdles for new connections at Bangor.
The chestnut, who is by Galileo, was bred and owned by Coolmore previously and trained by Aidan O’Brien to runner-up finishes in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, plus third place in the Irish Derby.
He then changed hands at the end of his four-year-old season and was briefly campaigned by Josh Halley, picking up second-placed honours on his hurdling bow at Ballinrobe in July.
Subsequently he changed ownership and stables again and settled in with Pipe for long-term Pond House supporter Professor Caroline Tisdale.
The Nightingale House Hospice Maiden Hurdle was his first run in her silks and the horse was sent off the 10-11 favourite under Jack Tudor.
He set out to make the running and hardly saw another horse throughout, jumping with accuracy and confidence to stride to a straightforward 13-length victory.
“He did it very well, he hurdled well. He was obviously a good Flat horse and they don’t always translate it to hurdles,” said Pipe.
“He seemed to have the right attitude and I’m sure he’ll get further in time.
“He’s been very good at home, he attacks them (hurdles) and he enjoys it. We’ve been impressed with his schooling since day one.”
A return to the Flat is now on the agenda as Wordsworth holds an entry for the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Saturday week, a race particularly favoured by Tisdale.
“He enjoyed it out in front and the plan, all being well, is that he’ll go to the Cesarewitch next Saturday,” Pipe said.
Of Tisdale he added: “She’s a very loyal owner and we’ve had some fantastic days, hopefully there are more to come.
“One of her favourite races is the Cesarewitch and that was one of the reasons for buying the horse.”
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