England boss Sarina Wiegman lauded the Lionesses’ adaptability after a system shake-up sparked a thumping 6-1 victory over China at the Women’s World Cup.

The Lionesses had not scored more than once in their opening two matches but came alive on a crisp night in front of 13,497 at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium to seal top spot in Group D.

Wiegman took a gamble as she swapped England’s usual 4-3-3 for a 3-5-2 formation, and she was rewarded with goals from five different players including a brace from Chelsea prodigy Lauren James, who also picked up three assists.

“I think we are growing into this tournament,” said Wiegman, whose side will travel back to their Terrigal, New South Wales base camp before flying to Brisbane to meet Nigeria in the knockout stages.

“I think tonight we had a great performance. Of course we made a choice and went for it.

“Everyone really believed in it [the formation] straight away and you could see that on the pitch. They were really excited about it. We want to use the qualities of the squad as optimal as possible. The team showed they were really adaptable.

“I think you could see from the whole team that we were enjoying ourselves, you could tell that we were really connected, the ball is going around and we have different ways to go in attack, and of course Lauren James was one of them when she scored the goals.

“You saw that the team was enjoying every goal, except the one from China.”

Alessia Russo got things started for England after just four minutes, while a dangerous-looking Lauren Hemp marked her return to Wiegman’s starting XI by doubling England’s advantage.

James struck her first after 41 minutes, but was denied a retrospective hat-trick after Australian referee Casey Reibelt turned to VAR and the stoppage-time strike was chalked off.

Lucy Bronze, who was ruled offside in that build-up, found herself at the wrong end of another call to the monitor after the restart and was aggrieved when she was punished for a handball and China were awarded a penalty, converted by Wang Shuang.

Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly wrapped up the victory with late strikes.

Bronze said: “I knew it hit my hand, but it wasn’t deliberate.

“Unless I cut my arm off I don’t know how I get my arm out the way. Again, we sit down with referees every tournament to discuss the rules, the rules are if I’m trying to put my hand next to my body.

“I said to the girls she’s going to give the penalty because it hits my hand but [England keeper] Mary [Earps] was behind me, if I was trying to hit the ball away I would have hit my hand in the air. I knew it wasn’t deliberate but I guess she just wanted to give me a yellow card for fun.

“It wasn’t a fun game in that respect, the referee for me. So, I was quite disappointed with that game to come off with that performance. The most important thing is we won, we’re through to the next game, no one else got injured.”

James, who became the first England player to be directly involved in five or more goals in a game at the men’s or women’s World Cup, admitted it would have been the icing on the cake to complete the hat-trick.

She said: “I was disappointed in the moment obviously but that’s football for you. In the moment I just had to be focused for the game to continue.

“I think just playing with freedom, just enjoying my football and I think tonight showed that. Hopefully I can continue doing that and take it into the next round.”

Haatem held off the late lunge of Iberian to win the Nicholson Gin Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Second to 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy in the Superlative Stakes last time out, albeit beaten six and a half lengths, Haatem was finally enjoying his moment in the sun after several respectable efforts this season.

Sean Levey rode him with confidence and was never too far from the pace, but the same could not be said of Charlie Hills’ Iberian, who was slowly away.

That left William Buick with no choice but to drop in at the rear and when push came to shove, that allowed Haatem (9-4 favourite) to get first run.

Haatem quickened up stylishly away from Witness Stand and Golden Mind, and while Aidan O’Brien’s Mountain Bear briefly looked a threat, it was Iberian who threw down the last challenge.

He could never quite get on terms, however, and went down by a length.

It was a first win in the race for Hannon, a Group Two his father won five times.

He said: “I’m very pleased, he’s a lovely horse and he ran so well in the Coventry and the Superlative. He was very unlucky in the Woodcote, he didn’t get any luck on the inside. That was our day and I thought it was all going wrong, but on days like today you realise you get your luck back.

“I thought this was his day, it was almost his Derby but he will get better as the year goes on. He’s a horse that’s big enough for next year, it’s not about being a two-year-old.

“He ran here first time and he’s improved all year. He’s a Group Two winner now so obviously we have to aim high, but he’s getting better.

“Something like the Dewhurst (will be the aim), he’s got to improve to take on the big guns but he’s doing that with every run.

“This horse has won a very good race, (Ascot winner) Rosallion might be the best we’ve had for years. This fella is a quiet achiever, he gets better every day.

“This lad is your mate, he tries every time and he’s just getting better.”

Hills will also look towards the Dewhurst with Iberian.

He said: “William was very impressed with him. He was drawn nine and has run a great race. It’s nice to know you have a horse you can target the top races with, and we will look at the Champagne Stakes and if that goes to plan the Dewhurst.

“I think the softer surface just blunted the speed out of him and he floundered in the going.

“But he’s a good horse for the future and could be a Guineas horse.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has laughed off suggestions the club are in the running to put together a loan deal for Kylian Mbappe.

France captain Mbappe has been subject of a world-record £259million bid from Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, but Paris St Germain could also be open to a temporary move ahead of the possibility of seeing him leave for nothing next year at the end of his current contract.

Chelsea and Barcelona are understood to be among the clubs trying to put together deals for Mbappe, who is reported to have already agreed a deal to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer and so secure a 160m euro (£138m) signing-on fee.

Anfield has also been touted as a possible destination for the coming season, but Klopp has been quick to pour cold water on those rumours.

“We laugh about it,” Klopp told Sky Germany as he prepared the squad for the final match of their pre-season Asia tour against Bayern Munich in Singapore.

“I can say that I think he’s a really good player, but the financial conditions don’t suit us at all. I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now, but as far as I know, there’s nothing to it.

“It’s possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me…that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I’ve been here. That would be the first time.”

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With Jordan Henderson having left the club to join Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, managed by former Reds skipper Steven Gerrard, Virgil van Dijk is set to captain Liverpool next season.

Klopp revealed he handed the Dutch defender the armband for his leadership – and for his looks.

“Virgil has everything to wish for to be a captain of a football club,” boss Klopp told the Liverpool’s website.

“Number one, he’s probably, let me have a think, definitely the best-looking captain in the Premier League, which is important for team pictures!

“But, of course, personality-wise everything is there. He wants to be a leader, he is a leader.

“He has to step up, like all of us have to step up because we were used to things how they always were and now we have to create something new – a new structure, a new culture – and that’s really exciting. He will play a massive role in that – he has to.”

Ancient Rome shone on his first start for new connections when pouncing late to land the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The Charlie Hills-trained War Front colt was previously trained by Andre Fabre for Coolmore, but changed hands earlier in the season and then moved yards after three more runs for Fabre.

Last seen coming home third in the Group Three Prix Messidor at Chantilly, the four-year-old was a 33-1 chance under Jamie Spencer and had most of the field to pass approaching the two-furlong pole.

Spencer is a jockey who thrives in such situations, however, and the pair picked off their rivals to lunge over the line and win by a length in the end.

Hills said: “I haven’t had him very long, he’s only been with us a couple of weeks, but he’s a very laid-back individual.

“Jim and Fitri Hay are big supporters of this meeting, so we thought we’d give him a go and it’s paid off.

“When we saw the draw (stall 16) I thought it didn’t look good, but there was only one way to do it, which was to give him a chance and try to keep down the middle.

“He’s got some very good form from last year, he was fourth in the French Guineas, and while he’s obviously come down the handicap we’ll probably aim a little bit higher with him.

“That should have given him some confidence now.”

John Quinn’s Lord Riddiford flew to a third success in the Coral Handicap in the hands of Andrea Atzeni.

The eight-year-old landed the contest in both 2021 and 2022, but had been well beaten in two efforts this season.

Back over his favoured course and distance, the 8-1 winner cruised down the inside rail to cross the line a convincing three and a quarter lengths ahead of Stuart Williams’ Existent.

“He really, really likes this track, he ran quite well in the Dash (at Epsom), but the ground was a little bit quick for him,” Quinn said.

“We thought as he’s an old horse we’ll freshen him up for here and hope that he gets a bit of cut in the ground.

“We were more than hopeful. With these older horses, they need conditions to be ideal.

“Two-year-olds will probably go on ground a bit quicker than is ideal, but older horses need it ideal.

“When I was driving down yesterday there was rain all the way to London, which was lovely! It stopped a bit further on, and then when we got to Goodwood it was raining again and I thought, ‘lovely’. It’s great to see an eight-year-old bounce back and I’m delighted.”

Diego Dias’ first runner in Britain was a winning one as Mansa Musa claimed a hard-fought triumph in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Maiden Stakes.

The former jockey, who hails from Brazil, has been heavily involved in the bloodstock industry for some time and only recently switched to training.

Based on the Curragh, Dias has held his licence for four months but had a good deal of well-placed confidence in his runner, who started at 20-1 under Rossa Ryan, standing in for sidelined Hong Kong ace Vincent Ho.

Array, the 4-6 favourite, battled Mansa Musa all the way to the line but it was the latter who prevailed by a short head.

“We always liked this horse at home. We know he improved from the run and there’s a lot more to come from this horse.

“He’s a really nice horse, we always did like him even when he went to the breeze-up sales in Dubai.

“We didn’t sell him and had to bring him back, he’s just proven for us now how good he is.”

Of his background and journey into training Dias added: “I’m from Brazil, rode back home in Brazil in Rio and rode in Ireland as well.

“The past few years I’ve been doing breeze-ups, I just took out my licence this year and that’s my second winner. It’s great.

“I’m based at the Curragh, best place to be – the gallops are the best in the world!

“It’s going better than I imagined, but I came here very confident that he was going to put on a good show.”

Paddington has been the breakout star of the Flat season to date, in a campaign starting to bear very close resemblance to a Ballydoyle great of the past, Giant’s Causeway.

And like the ‘Iron Horse’, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt will need to show all his versatility in his latest assignment, the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Having emerged from winning a handicap first time out this season, the son of Siyouni is now chasing a fourth successive Group One victory.

He took the Irish 2,000 Guineas in style, before readily accounting for English Guineas winner Chaldean in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and then stepping up to 10 furlongs to beat Emily Upjohn in the Eclipse last time out.

Now he is dropping back to a mile, taking on the classy Inspiral with substantial rain forecast on Tuesday evening into Wednesday, although O’Brien is not unduly concerned.

He said: “He’s got winning form on very soft ground, so I wouldn’t be as concerned for him as I might have been for other horses. He’s got form on all types of ground.

“I hold Paddington in very high regard. He is very natural, very quick and very straightforward. He is a little bit different, we think, and the way he has progressed from run to run is very unusual.

“Ryan (Moore) always thought he had lots of pace and coming back to a mile won’t be a problem. We were delighted with him in the Eclipse and we always had the Sussex Stakes as part of his programme.

“He has been putting on weight after every run. He was much heavier heading into the Eclipse than he was before Ascot, which is quite unusual. He thrives on work and everyone involved with him is very happy.

“He has gone from strength to strength and Ryan is very impressed with him all the time. He is standing up to a lot of scrutiny and it is the ease with which he is doing it. He looks a serious horse at the moment.”

Giant’s Causeway was runner-up in the Irish Guineas, but did win the St James’s Palace, Eclipse and Sussex Stakes, and then added the Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes, races that could easily feature on Paddington’s radar.

For now it is Goodwood, with O’Brien adding: “The Sussex Stakes is a very prestigious race that has stood the test of time. For a horse going to stud, it is very important with it being the first time the three-year-olds can take on the older milers.”

Just as in the Eclipse, Paddington’s biggest market rival is a filly trained by John and Thady Gosden.

Winner of six of her nine races, including three Group Ones, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned four-year-old Inspiral should certainly give Paddington something to think about – but whether she would want very soft ground is debateable.

“At this point in tine, all being well, we’ll run. The ground is changing, but this has been the plan and she is on course to go to Goodwood,” said Chris Richardson, racing manager for the owners.

“Obviously she has a weight for age difference, but it is a logical step really. We wanted to give her plenty of time after Royal Ascot.

“It was a good performance on her first run. She proved last year she runs well fresh and she followed it up.

“We obviously bypassed Newmarket (Falmouth) in preference for Goodwood. France was in the mix, but those races are too close together now and they have had plenty of rain over there.”

The ground, though, is a cause for concern.

Richardson went on: “Heavy ground wouldn’t suit her. We have taken the chance and more rain would suit Paddington probably more perhaps than us.

“She handles soft ground. She won the Marois on soft ground, and it was easy in the Falmouth when she was second as well. If you are not in, you can’t win.

“Paddington is a serious horse. He is a bit of a superstar, but we’re fresh and he’s had a few more races than us. The weight allowance might make a difference and she’s in good form.”

The feature Qipco British Champions Series event on day two also features the William Haggas-trained Aldaary, who has not quite hit the heights after missing last season but is one who will appreciate the rain.

“We left Aldaary in the Sussex in the hope that we get the sort of ground we had when Here Comes When won in 2017,” said Haggas, successful 12 months ago with the mighty Baaeed.

“He’s probably not good enough to win, but he likes the soft, so who knows. It wasn’t as soft as ideal at Ascot last time and it was a funny race. He was still a bit rusty there, but he’s better now.”

Richard Hannon does not think conditions will suit Chindit, however.

“If the word soft appears in the ground, he won’t run,” said Hannon.

“He has to have fast ground. If he doesn’t go there, he’s got the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, he’s got a race at York, there’s a Group Two somewhere else – there are a good few, but he can’t function on soft ground.”

Aidan O’Brien is still at a loss to explain the performance of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Having finished only 12th of 14 when favourite for the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien never lost faith and produced a terrific training performance to get him back in top shape to win the Derby.

The son of Japanese stallion Deep Impact then followed up in the Irish Derby at the Curragh, making him the first since Harzand in 2016 to win both Classics.

Sent off the 9-4 favourite in a stellar field at Ascot, Ryan Moore was sending out distress signals very early and ultimately allowed the colt to come home in his own time.

Several theories have been raised since the race as to his disappointing display, including the fact that the only other time he took a plane to England he ran no race in the Guineas. But as of yet, nothing untoward has come to light.

Speaking on Tuesday, O’Brien said: “He was a little bit stiff, but that’s it.

“As of now, there’s been nothing strange that has shown up.

“We’ll just continue to monitor him and see how he is over the next week.”

England star Lauren James said her performance in the 6-1 World Cup romp over China was “what dreams are made of” as they advanced to the knockout stage.

Playing in the number 10 role, the Chelsea player scored twice and produced three assists, while also having a goal disallowed, as the Lionesses finished top of Group D in style to set up a last-16 tie with Nigeria.

James, who also scored against Denmark, has been the standout player for Sarina Wiegman’s side and enjoyed her evening in Adelaide.

“Another day, obviously it’s what dreams are made of,” she said on ITV 1. “Happy for the team and everyone is buzzing and looking forward to going into the next round.

“I felt free, whether I am on the wing or in the middle, I am just happy to be on the pitch playing and enjoying my football. I am happy I can contribute to goals as well.”

On her sublime first-time finish at the far post for her second goal, she added: “I think like the last game, I just thought ‘Why not? Hit it and see what happens’.”

And James says more is to come, adding: “For sure, each day, each game I am looking to improve and get better. There are many more years of improvement. I can always get better.

“I just need to stay focused and hopefully that can happen.”

Following an injury to Keira Walsh, Wiegman used a new formation and was happy it came to fruition as her side hit their straps for the first time in the tournament.

“I am very delighted. I said before the game we were going to do things a little bit different than we did before and we did really well. It shows how adaptive this team is and I think they are enjoying themselves,” she said.

“I think today it worked really well, players felt comfortable. What we want is the qualities we have now to try and use them a little bit more.”

On James, she added: “She feels good, you can tell. She did special things today. Unfortunately one goal was cancelled, but she flows over the pitch.”

Jurgen Klopp has revealed he handed Virgil van Dijk the Liverpool captaincy for his leadership, and for his looks.

Dutch defender Van Dijk has replaced the outgoing Jordan Henderson as the Reds’ skipper, with Trent Alexander-Arnold taking the role of vice captain.

“Virgil has everything to wish for to be a captain of a football club,” Anfield boss Klopp told the club website.

“Number one, he’s probably, let me have a think, definitely the best-looking captain in the Premier League, which is important for team pictures!

“But, of course, personality-wise everything is there. He wants to be a leader, he is a leader.

“He has to step up, like all of us have to step up because we were used to things how they always were and now we have to create something new – a new structure, a new culture – and that’s really exciting. He will play a massive role in that – he has to.”

Hull KR coach Willie Peters will spare his star men the prospect of facing a potentially-vengeful Wigan on Friday night with their Wembley Challenge Cup final date fast approaching.

Peters plans to field a virtually-unrecognisable line-up for their Betfred Super League clash at the DW Stadium, including three players he has brought in this week on short-term loan deals plus three academy graduates who will make their first-team debuts.

Rovers edged Matt Peet’s men in a semi-final thriller at Headingley less than two weeks ago and despite their desire to cement a play-off spot, Peters is making no apologies for refusing to take risks with his already injury-hit squad.

“Obviously it’s a very important game this week but it’s a very important game next week too,” said Peters. “We will be going there with a team that is going to compete but we’ve got to be smart as well.

“If we have a team that goes out and competes from one minute to 80, I’ll be a proud coach. I think this is a game that we can hopefully go and make our fans proud of us, that a young team has gone over to Wigan and given their all.”

Rovers face Leigh at Wembley on August 12 where they will hunt their first Challenge Cup victory since their only previous triumph over city rivals Hull FC in 1980.

Peters confirmed the respective signings of Catalans half-back Cesar Rouge, Wakefield prop Isaac Shaw and Warrington forward Luke Thomas, all on two-week loan deals.

In addition, academy players Leo Tennison, Louix Gorman and Lennie Ellis will make the first team for the first time.

Peters is still hopeful that Tom Opacic, Eliot Minchella and Ethan Ryan will all recover from their current injuries in time for the Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday, but Jordan Abdull will definitely miss the Wembley date.

Two goals and three assists from Lauren James led a revived England attack and ensured the Lionesses secured top spot in Group D with a thumping 6-1 victory over China at the Women’s World Cup.

Alessia Russo opened her account for the tournament after four minutes while Lauren Hemp and James made it three by the halfway point, with James seeing another chalked off following a VAR check in stoppage time at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium.

Wang Shuang clawed one back with a spot-kick after the break, but strikes from substitute Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly assured the Lionesses of a dominant victory in front of 13,497 in the stands.

England next travel back to Brisbane, where they will face Nigeria in the last 16 on Monday.

Ground conditions are the chief concern for trainer Shark Hanlon ahead of Hewick’s bid for back-to-back wins in the Tote Galway Plate.

Victory in the €270,000 contest 12 months ago was the middle leg of a huge treble in 2022 for the eight-year-old, as he also landed the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and the American Grand National.

He subsequently fell two fences from home when still in with a shout in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has since returned to Sandown to win the Oaksey Chase and finished fourth in the French Champion Hurdle.

Hanlon is thrilled with his stable star’s condition ahead of his planned return to Ballybrit, but admits the prospect of carrying top-weight in testing terrain is a worry.

He said: “Hopefully the ground will dry up a bit – we need to get the ground a bit drier.

“He’s in great form and everything, but he doesn’t want very soft ground. There’s nothing we can do about it, only wait and see.

“In fairness the two-mile-six might be on the short side for the horse and a bit of cut in the ground might be a help to us, but you’re always afraid when it gets very soft.

“I couldn’t have the horse any better, but if they end up with heavy in the ground I couldn’t run him. Hopefully it won’t get to that.”

With his first-choice pilot Jordan Gainford sidelined by injury, Hanlon turned to Rachael Blackmore to partner Hewick in his last two races.

However, Blackmore rides Gabbys Cross for Henry de Bromhead, leading Hanlon to book Britain’s champion jockey Brian Hughes.

He added: “Brian is a great jockey and he looks after me when I go to England. I’m delighted to have him on board.”

Gavin Cromwell is looking forward to saddling Final Orders, who won five successive races over fences last season before finishing fifth in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old fell in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on his next start, but recently proved his well being with a Flat victory at Bellewstown.

Cromwell said: “He’s in great shape and I’m delighted with him. I would love if the ground was a little bit better, hopefully it won’t be too bad.

“We’re happy he’s in great nick and if he can get a bit of luck in running, hopefully he’ll be involved.”

Another high-class chaser who warmed up for Galway’s midweek feature with a victory on the level is the Barry Connell-trained Enniskerry, having bolted up by six lengths at Leopardstown in June.

However, his participation is also dependent on conditions.

“The big problem is the ground – if it comes up soft he won’t run,” said Connell.

“It’s unfortunate because he’s in the form of his life, he has a lovely racing weight (10st 7lb) and if it was good ground we’d be very optimistic about his chances.

“We have him in another race on Friday, so that’s an alternative if we don’t get to run on Wednesday.

“He won his beginners’ chase there last year, so we know he likes the track and he’s a second-season novice who is unexposed, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”

Mick Appleby is “pretty confident” Big Evs can lower the colours of Kylian in a good renewal of the Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Winner of the 23-runner Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot on his last run, the son of Blue Point will be tackling easy ground for the first time and Jason Hart’s mount is drawn on the wing in stall eight.

“He’s in good order. I think we have got a decent enough draw and we should be going there with a very good chance,” said Appleby.

“I think he will be OK on the ground, as long as it doesn’t go heavy. You’d think he’d be OK on good to soft ground and the dam won on soft ground, so hopefully he should be all right.”

Big Evs and the Karl Burke-trained Kylian dominate the market for the five-furlong Group Two contest.

The latter is more experienced with four runs under his belt and was a scintillating six-length winner of the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown on his last run.

“Obviously we have Kylian to beat,” admitted Appleby. “It is a great race, but we’d go there pretty confident and he should have a good chance.

“Should all go well, we’ll probably go for the Gimcrack (at York) next – that’s most obvious one for him, I should have thought.”

Ryan Moore maintains his partnership with Kylian, who is bidding for a hat-trick, having previously won on the all-weather at Newcastle.

“I sat on him for the first time at Sandown last month and you had to be very impressed by the manner in which he picked up after I switched him to the outside after a rail run clearly didn’t materialise,” Moore reported on his Betfair blog.

“Big Evs is probably the one to beat, but this horse isn’t far behind him form-wise after what he did at Sandown, though both horses are unproven on soft ground and that is the question mark.”

Richard Hannon is equally hopeful that Baheer, an easy winner of a Newbury novice over six furlongs, can handle the ground and a drop back in trip.

He said: “He is in great form. He’s very quick and has easily got the speed for five (furlongs) no problem.

“The ground is an unknown quantity, but Mehmas liked it. I think he’d have a great chance as well.”

The other Group Two contest on the card is the seven-furlong Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes, which has attracted a field of 16 fillies.

John Quinn saddles Breege, who was pitched into Group One company in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on her seasonal debut, where she finished seventh to Tahiyra.

She then was beaten a length by Coppice in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot, so drops back in trip to a course and distance she handled well when a narrow runner-up in a Group Three last August.

“We’re happy with her,” said Quinn. “She ran very well at Ascot and we tried to run her at Sandown (in the Coral Distaff), but we just couldn’t run her – it wasn’t a lot, I just couldn’t run her.

“We have been thinking about this race because we thought the conditions might suit her. She ran here as a two-year-old over seven furlongs and she handled the track well.

“She is a big, strong mare and, with a bit of ease in the ground, she’ll go on that.

“She is not slow. She won over five and a half (furlongs) as a two-year-old and was placed in the Princess Margaret. She is a quality filly, so let’s hope she runs well in a tough race.

“She is drawn in stall three, which is grand. I’d rather be three than 13. I’m glad she got drawn there, because over seven furlongs, if you are drawn out a long way, it is difficult.”

White Moonlight is the sole last-time-out winner in the field and she bids for a hat-trick for Saeed bin Suroor, following a pair of Listed successes at Musselburgh and on the all-weather at Chelmsford, both over the same seven-furlong trip.

“She won well at Chelmsford, “ said the Godolphin handler. “She came back from that well and worked nicely. Definitely she is in good form.

“She won at Musselburgh on good to firm ground, but maybe the ground conditions will be good for her. It will be nearer soft ground.

“We’ll see, we’ll have a look, but she has won on easier ground in the past as a two-year-old.”

England head coach Brendon McCullum branded his first taste of Ashes cricket “a great heavyweight fight” and is already anticipating a rumble Down Under in 2025.

McCullum’s side were on the ropes at 2-0 down but hit back to square a thrilling series 2-2, and would surely have been celebrating an outright victory had rain not halted England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford. If the contest had been settled on judges’ scorecards, the urn would surely have been heading home.

The hosts ultimately settled for a share of the spoils on a rousing final day at the Kia Oval, where Chris Woakes and the retiring duo of Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad toppled the tourists to seal a 49-run win and maintain their year-long undefeated streak in Test series under the New Zealander.

An Australia team who came into the Ashes as newly-crowned Test world champions provided the stiffest challenge yet of the ‘Bazball’ blueprint, and McCullum was enthralled enough by what he saw to cast his eyes towards a rematch that lies two-and-a-half years away.

“I’ve looked from afar at the Ashes and to now be a part of it and witness how special it is is something quite incredible. I don’t want it to end actually,” said McCullum, who traded a few blows with the Australians during his own time with New Zealand.

“I think we should go round again and have another five Tests, keep doing what we’re doing. It’s been an incredible six weeks and I’m really proud to be sharing a dressing room with the England boys.

“But you’re sharing this series with the Aussie boys too. They walk away with the urn but both teams walk away with two victories under their belt. I think both sides have stayed true to their styles and that’s what makes a great heavyweight fight. It’s two different styles and total conviction in them.

“When you look back to when the skipper (Ben Stokes), thinking would we be able to take on a great Australian team – and they are a great Australian team – and go toe to toe with them? I think the answer is yes and that’s a tremendous confidence booster for the group.

“The next one is obviously a little way away and there’s certainly different challenges to cross before then. If we look at the growth of the team in the last 14-15 months it has been quite significant.

“There will be some new faces for both sides in two-and-a-half years, no doubt, but I’d imagine again it could be another cracking series when the time comes. But firstly we’re letting this one sink in and enjoying it.”

England do not play Test cricket again until January’s trip to India but McCullum already has two holes to fill, with Broad and Moeen bowing out on a high. The seam bowling ranks are looking distinctly well travelled too, with James Anderson (41), Chris Woakes (34) and Mark Wood (33) the men in possession.

Word has already been passed around the county circuit that England want to see Test hopefuls put their names forward by playing the same kind of fearless, selfless cricket McCullum and Stokes favour and events of the past seven weeks have surely left plenty with an appetite to join the fun.

“I certainly hope so. Naturally places do come up when guys come to the end of their careers so there will be opportunities there,” he said.

“We’re starting to build some nice depth in batting and bowling as well, so that’s encouraging and will pose some good conversations moving forward.

“What you’re trying to do is not only inspire the next generation but the layer underneath the top team, to have them understand how we’re going to play and work out in their own heads where they fit within that and try to force a place.

“Broady and Mo for a second are two incredible cricketers but also wonderful people and great characters in the dressing room. We’ll miss them, no doubt, but they have left a huge imprint on the side. It’s been great to have them around and I’m sure their legacies will carry on to the next generation.”

In the short term, McCullum will take a back seat for the rest of the year. His white-ball counterpart Matthew Mott will take charge of English ambitions in the meantime, with this autumn’s 50-over World Cup defence the next major goal.

And despite likening his side to prize fighters, McCullum expects to see his players divide their time between the cricket pitch and the golf course until he next sees them.

“What will be really important for the time India comes will be trying to dial back into what we’ve achieved in the last 14-15 months and trying to make sure the team turns up with the same clarity of thought when we go about things,” he said.

“Until then I’m sure the boys will have a good time. They’ll score some runs, take some wickets and we’ll all make some birdies.”