A change of scenery was all the magic required to turn Wise Eagle from a 0-65 handicapper into an Ascot Gold Cup contender.

Trained by Adam Nicol and owned by six friends in the Seahouses Syndicate, the six-year-old has progressed through the ranks since being bought for 7,000 guineas at the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale, improving by 40lb.

He has won 11 races since finishing runner-up on his stable debut as a 66-1 chance in Catterick juvenile hurdle and his latest run, when second to Coltrane in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, has connections dreaming of a fairytale return to the Berkshire track.

Former jockey Nicol, who has just eight horses in his Northumberland yard, insists there was no magic formula for the improvement.

“He has won 11 for us, but when he ran at Yarmouth for Tom Clover, I think he had blinkers. He was going everywhere bar forward and he just looked like he was hating life.

“Tom said when we bought him he wasn’t enjoying Newmarket and a change of scenery would help and get him on the beach.

“We got him here and we didn’t do anything. Didn’t check blood, didn’t even scope him. We just wormed him and then started riding him out.

“What we did do was give him plenty of turn-out. Every day, he gets a minimum of an hour every day, maybe more.

“I feel like even if you give them half an hour, they come in and switch off, because they have been ridden out, had their pick of grass and then they sleep and rest.

“Another thing we don’t do is gallop this horse a lot. We do a lot of steady work. I just think he enjoys it.

“I’m not really putting him under too much pressure. He comes alive at the races and gets that spring in his step. He certainly didn’t look out of place in the Sagaro Stakes, walking around the paddock he looked fantastic. He is a horse enjoying himself.”

Wise Eagle’s victories included the Queen’s Cup at Musselburgh on his seasonal debut and that form was further boosted when Metier, to whom he was conceding 4lb, won the Chester Cup.

“I got some buzz out of the Musselburgh race, beating the likes of Harry Fry and Paul Nicholls in the Queen’s Cup,” said Nicol, a relatively fresh face in the training ranks aged just 33 and who enjoyed memorable days in the saddle with top-class mare Lady Buttons.

Having finished four and three-quarter lengths behind Coltrane in the Sagaro, Nicol hopes the additional half-mile at the Royal meeting will help the son of Free Eagle.

“Some people say he looked like he was only just getting home at Ascot, but you have one turn of foot with this horse.

“Push the button once and he will go for you – he has a hell of a turn of foot. But once he’s used that, he’s done enough and he’ll not come again for you.

“The Sagaro got a bit tactical. I would prefer 10 or 12 runners, where they go a nice, even gallop, which I’m hoping they usually do in a Gold Cup, and then just slot in. Danny (Tudhope) knows him inside out.

“I’m glad we ran him there. We know he handles the track and it was a case of running him in that to know if we were punching a bit, if he was good enough for that level. And I think he is. He definitely deserves a crack.

“I know the owners and Andrew Balding will be going there thinking Coltrane has a great chance, as Wise Eagle has never beaten him, but plenty of horses have reversed the form.

“We’ve already beaten Trueshan and it is an open race.”

Though there was an option of heading to York and then Goodwood, the Wise Eagle’s owners have decided to take their chance at the showpiece meeting instead.

Nicol explained: “There is a mile-and-five Listed race at York. I thought there was a good chance of him winning that and York wouldn’t take as much out of him, and then we’d go to the Goodwood Cup.

“But the lads felt that you don’t forgo perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance of even placing in the Gold Cup, plus the prize-money is fantastic.

“I do think that the level he is running at, should he go and run a blinder again in the Gold Cup, I think maybe abroad there are winnable races. They are not going to be any better than the Gold Cup or the Sagaro, so we will think about that.”

Nicol is still pinching himself about the horse who has come from humble beginnings to be a flagship for his burgeoning yard and he hopes the journey will continue a while yet.

“This lad cost 7,000 guineas. We went down to Tattersalls during Covid, there was nobody really there,” he said.

“In normal circumstances, he would have been at least 15 or 20 grand. He was a winner over a mile, he was only three, not badly bred – and I just think, because of Covid, we were lucky to get him.

“His first win for us was in a jumpers’ bumper, and we have gone from running in a 0-65 at Catterick to running in the Ascot Gold Cup. It doesn’t happen very often, does it?

“It’s almost as good a story as the Dream Alliance film. Everyone likes the underdog to run well and we go there with no pressure.

“The owners want to have a day out. Half of them haven’t had a horse before. They are first-time owners.

“I think they think the game’s easy; buy a horse and make money. They haven’t had to pay a bill yet – the prize-money has paid for it all.”

All that is needed is a Hollywood-style ending, as was the case when unheralded chaser Dream Alliance rose from being reared on an allotment in South Wales to winning the Welsh National.

“Having a chance to have a horse good enough to run and be competitive doesn’t come along often,” added Nicol.

“We have one bullet to have a go – and it’s a good one – so we’ll have a good crack.”

Matthew Tkachuk played the role of hero again, scoring 1:51 into overtime to lift the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final.

Less than two days after scoring the winner in an epic four-overtime thriller, Tkachuk roofed a feed from Sam Reinhart past Antti Raanta on the power play for his third OT goal in the playoffs.

Aleksander Barkov had a highlight-reel goal for Florida, which heads home for Game 3 on Monday having swept both games in Carolina.

The Panthers are halfway to reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996, which also marks their last appearance in the East final.

The eighth-seeded Panthers won their eighth straight road game in the playoffs and remained perfect in six overtime games this postseason.

Jalen Chatfield scored Carolina's only goal early in the first period. The Hurricanes had won their first three overtime games this postseason before dropping two straight in this series.

While Sergei Bobrovsky continued his stellar playoffs with 37 saves and improved to 9-2, Carolina decided to switch to Raanta in net after Frederik Andersen's heavy workload in Game 1. Raanta, who started the first five games of the postseason, stopped 24 of 26 shots.

Charlie Appleby is full of hope Military Order can record what would be a notable family double in the Betfred Derby.

The Lingfield Derby Trial victor is a full-brother to 2021 Epsom hero Adayar, being by Frankel out of Anna Salai.

Adayar also went to Lingfield before Epsom, although he had to settle for the runner-up spot there to Third Realm.

As a result he was a 16-1 winner of the blue riband, while in contrast Military Order is set to go there as favourite and will be the only runner for Moulton Paddocks.

Appleby – who first won the Derby with Masar in 2018 – said: “I’ve only left Military Order in the race on the back of his win in the Lingfield Derby Trial which I was very pleased with.

“He has come out of that race well and it is all systems go hopefully into a Derby now. His preparations have been faultless to date and he ticks a lot of boxes as they say.

“At the end of the day you have to say his profile is most similar to Adayar given they are brothers.

“Although Adayar wasn’t a black-type winner going into the Derby, he had been placed in the Classic Trial at Sandown Park and the Lingfield Derby Trial.

“It was a completely different ball game with Masar, who was a Group winner at two and three even before he went into the Derby so I couldn’t put them in the same sort of profile.

“As respects to Military Order and his brother I would say he is marginally in front of him and he is a worthy favourite on what we have seen to date.”

The Lingfield race was staged on the all-weather rather than turf due to ground conditions, but Appleby feels that should not distract from his winning effort.

He went on: “Everyone is allowed an opinion at the end of the day and some people will say it was only an all-weather win at Lingfield.

“What I loved about it, and the most important part that I took out of the race, was when William (Buick) made that manoeuvre, for a mile-and-a-half horse, and a horse of his stature, he did it very effortlessly.

“A lot of horses can get tangled around Lingfield whether it be on the turf or the all-weather coming down that hill into that turn. They can sometimes need time to find their legs and he did it very quickly and smoothly.

“I do genuinely feel he has still got that potential to find more improvement over the mile and a half and he is going in there as one of the least exposed horses at the top of the market.

“You can never have enough horses in the Derby as Aidan (O’Brien) has proved down the years.

“We have been lucky enough to have a couple of runners in the Derby when Masar won and we had three runners in the race when Adayar won.

“It is one of those unique races that you have to go there with the right horse. If you haven’t got the right horse it is pointless really turning up.

“It is a fantastic race but one you have to be good enough to turn up in as if you aren’t you can become lost in it all very quickly.”

Barry Robson is relishing the prospect of welcoming back three key players as Aberdeen bid to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat at Hearts and seal third place in the cinch Premiership.

The Dons saw their five-point advantage over the fourth-placed Jambos chopped to just two with two games remaining after goals from home forwards Josh Ginnelly and Lawrence Shankland overturned Mattie Pollock’s opener for the visitors.

Aberdeen lost 5-0 on their last visit to Tynecastle under previous boss Jim Goodwin in January and Robson took some solace from the fact this defeat – narrower in scoreline – was suffered without captain Graeme Shinnie, talismanic forward Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes and wing-back Ross McCrorie, all of whom are in line to return for Wednesday’s crucial match at home to St Mirren.

“Compared to last time down here, we’re a totally different team now,” said Robson. “The positive for me is we’ve got Shinnie, Duk and McCrorie all to come back.

“It’s not easy to come down here and play without those players. The other boys that came in did well but they’re your experience, your legs and your goals. That’s what we’ve got to look forward to on Wednesday.”

Aberdeen were 10 points behind Hearts in February and despite losing at Tynecastle on Saturday their bid to secure European group-stage football remains in their own hands.

“It’s different questions to what you were asking me three months ago,” said Robson, trying to accentuate the positives. “10 points we were behind. Now two points ahead with two games to go and three top players to come back.

“I’m alright, I’m looking forward to the game on Wednesday.”

Hearts – who have a superior goal difference to Aberdeen – need to pick up two more points than the Dons over the course of the last two games if they are to finish third.

The Jambos visit Rangers on Wednesday before hosting city rivals Hibs on the last day, while the Dons travel to champions Celtic after playing Saints in midweek.

“I think it is an interesting week now,” said Hearts boss Steven Naismith, who took over from the sacked Robbie Neilson last month.

“This win has clawed us back to much closer to Aberdeen than we were before the game.

“We go into the next week with two games again looking to cause more problems than the teams we come up against and give ourselves a chance.

“That is all we can do. From where the team was sitting (when Naismith took charge), the morale, everything, it was really tough to turn around.

“We have done a really good job of doing that, bringing in an attacking style of football which was pleasing for me.”

Hearts have not won away to Rangers for almost nine years but Naismith is confident they can deliver a strong performance at Ibrox on Wednesday.

“We can go and compete for sure, I really believe that,” he said. “Today gives me a lot of confidence in terms of how we were calm, controlled in our possession.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta knows it will take time for his side to get to the level Manchester City are at.

The Gunners’ faint Premier League title hopes went with a whimper after a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest handed City a fifth crown in six years.

Arsenal were insatiable for most of the campaign, spending 248 days on top of the table, and held an eight-point lead over City in March, but an alarming slide has seen them win just two of their last eight games.

That allowed them to be overtaken by Pep Guardiola’s relentless juggernaut, who have won 11 games in a row.

The Spaniard says Arsenal have to find a way to compete with City but it will not be a quick fix.

“This is my job, this is our job, and this is what this club deserves,” Arteta said.

“It wasn’t enough. I know we’re not at that level, but we have to find a way. This is not enough. It’s not going to change in three months time. We need to be at that level but we need to find other ways to do it.

“For example at Forest we needed to play much better. This is my responsibility.

“That’s why we have to push for that to happen. That’s not going to happen if we don’t make a lot of right decisions and think smart and have the mentality every day to get to that level.”

While Arsenal had a definitive outcome for their aspirations, so did Forest as they secured their Premier League status against the odds.

For large parts of the season, which began with more than 20 new signings, they looked destined to return straight back to the Championship, not least when they were on an 11-game winless run going into the end of April.

Boss Steve Cooper steered them away from danger, thanks to 10 points from the last five games, and he is thankful to the fans, who have been vociferous in their support throughout the campaign.

It looked possible that the Welshman could be sacked on two occasions during the campaign, but Forest fans voted with their feet and came out in unanimous support of their manager.

And Cooper will never forget that.

“My family and myself will be in debt to these supporters forever,” he said.

“What they have given me this year in an era of people always wanting change and having no patience, our supporters have been the complete opposite. They have been the best with me in some difficult times. That takes some doing.

“The whole sense of being part of something, being wanted and that sense of belonging is such a powerful feeling. Our supporters have set the standard for how to support a team.”

Callum Wilson is in the form of his life as his goals edge Newcastle ever closer to Champions League qualification.

That is the view of Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, who worked with the England striker during the pair’s time together at Bournemouth before they were reunited at St James’ Park.

Wilson is enjoying the Premier League goals return of his career with 18 to date, the last 11 coming since the beginning of April and eight of them in his six most recent appearances, the perfect response to record signing Alexander Isak’s presence on Tyneside.

Asked if the 31-year-old’s rich vein of form was his best yet, Howe said with a smile: “He’ll probably tell me there’s been a better spell somewhere down the line, I imagine.

“The season he was in the Championship with us, my first season with him at Bournemouth, I thought he was electric.

“But this is at the very highest level, this is against the best defenders in the world, the best teams in the world and he’s performing at probably, I’d say, the best level I’ve ever seen him at.”

Wilson’s latest telling contribution came in Thursday night’s crucial 4-1 home victory over Brighton, which sends the Magpies into Monday’s clash with Leicester knowing Champions League qualification is firmly within their grasp.

With the score at 2-1 and barely a minute of normal time remaining, he broke and fired past keeper Jason Steele before racing clear once again to set up Bruno Guimaraes to score, although it was his all-round contribution which pleased Howe most.

The 45-year-old said: “I complimented him, not in terms of the goal he scored, but just his intelligence on the press for us because he is the one that has to set the chain off and he has to get it right.

“If he gets it wrong, the whole team suffers, so I thought his tactical understanding was as good as I’ve seen.”

The intensity Newcastle mustered against the Seagulls has become their trademark under Howe, and it is one of which he is justifiably proud.

He said: “You can’t promise the winning. In my first press conference here, I said I can’t promise that, but I can try to give a team that empties on the pitch, that gives everything every time we step on to it.

“That’s what I ask of the team, that’s what I ask of the players consistently. It’s easier said than done because in a long season, cup runs, naturally people will have off days, bad days, that’s just natural.

“But you can have a bad day and still give your all, and I’ve got to compliment the players on what they’ve done this year. The mindset and mentality of the group have been second to none.”

Callum McGregor is looking to Wednesday’s visit to Hibernian to get back to winning ways following Celtic’s 2-2 draw against spirited St Mirren on Saturday.

The Hoops captain’s late strike secured a point for the cinch Premiership champions against Stephen Robinson’s side who had twice taken the lead at Parkhead.

Buddies forward Curtis Main scored either side of a Kyogo Furuhashi leveller to give the visitors a shock interval lead.

Main could have scored another three times after the break albeit Celtic had chances too before McGregor curled in a shot from the edge of the box in the 81st minute but ultimately, it was two points dropped for Celtic after losing to Old Firm rivals Rangers at Ibrox the previous week.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travel to Easter Road in midweek before the final league game at home to Aberdeen next Saturday with the Scottish Cup final against Championship outfit Inverness at Hampden Park on June 3, where the Parkhead club will look to clinch the domestic treble.

Speaking to Celtic TV, McGregor said: “You think when we get the equaliser we can go and get the winner – we had a couple of good chances but we didn’t put them away.

“We gave ourselves so much work to do when you have to chase the game like that.

“It becomes frantic at that point and you get a bit more uptight and tense in the final third and you maybe lose a little bit of quality.

“The good thing is that you have another game in three days and it gives you a chance to try and rectify the result previously.

“We have to recover now and go full steam for Wednesday and then Saturday.

“We can’t start games like that and give ourselves work to do.

“We need to learn quickly from that and we have three really important games to go and we need to be at it now.”

After losing a late goal to Hearts at home last week, Buddies boss Robinson watched his side get pegged back again for a 2-2 draw.

However, with two games remaining against Aberdeen and Rangers and his sixth-placed side two points behind Hibernian – who host the Ibrox side on Sunday lunchtime – the Northern Irishman has not given up on a European spot.

He said: “We have proved against Hearts, we were 20 seconds from three points.

“We proved against Celtic, we were 2-1 up and creating chances, (that) we shouldn’t fear anybody.

“They are human, they make mistakes and sometimes they play better than others, what I never get is a lack of intensity and effort from a fantastic group of boys.”

Bryan Mbeumo was happy to step up for Brentford in the absence of Ivan Toney in their 3-1 win at Tottenham.

The Bees were without 20-goal striker Toney, who has also been nursing a hamstring injury, after he was handed an eight-month ban by the Football Association on Thursday for repeated betting breaches.

When Harry Kane fired Spurs into an early lead, it looked like Brentford’s faint hopes of European football were about to end but Mbeumo struck twice in a 12-minute period at the start of the second half before setting up Yoane Wissa for the visitors’ third late on.

“Yeah, sensational. I can’t say more than this,” Mbeumo told BT Sport.

“The first half was a bit sloppy from us, in the duels we were not maybe there but in the second half everybody raised the level and it is a fantastic win.

“Of course it is hard because we lose a big personality on the pitch (in Toney) and yeah we have to do it as a team but I am happy to score.

“I always push myself as hard as I can and yeah, I want to push the level. I am very hard on myself but I am happy.

“We want to aim high, be high on the table and we still have one chance so we will do everything we can.”

Mbeumo received praise from manager Thomas Frank after he scored his eighth and ninth goals of the campaign.

Frank added: “He works so hard, is a fantastic pressing player and can score goals, assist and link up, but maybe he lacked goals (last season).

“Probably a little bit unlucky in some situations because he hit the post seven times last year so we’re talking about margins there.

“He does work very, very hard at his finishing and especially with Justin Cochrane but also Kevin O’Connor on those two finishes he made. So, I was very pleased to see his hard work pay off.”

Brentford’s win means they are guaranteed a ninth-place finish but victory on the final day at home to champions Manchester City could secure Europa Conference League football.

Frank knows revenge will be on the mind of Pep Guardiola’s side after they stunned them at the Etihad in November.

“We know we need Tottenham and (Aston) Villa to drop points on the last day when we are facing the best team in the world,” Frank smiled.

“So, it is a little bit of a challenge but we will do everything we can to make an absolutely outstanding season even better.”

Spurs’ acting head coach Ryan Mason was left bitterly disappointed by their latest defeat with their goals against tally now standing at 62, their worst in a Premier League campaign since 2003.

He admitted: “Obviously we’re conceding a lot of goals for different reasons.

“I thought we showed a lot of courage in the first half. We were brave, played a good match with the ball but in the second half the intensity dropped.”

Santi Cazorla announced he was leaving Arsenal on this day in 2018 after six years with the club.

The Spain midfielder, then aged 33, had made 180 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring 29 goals, following his arrival from Malaga in 2012.

Out of action since October 2016 due to an Achilles injury, he was set to depart with his contract coming to an end.

Cazorla’s time with Arsenal included two FA Cup triumphs, with him scoring a free-kick in the 2014 final, which Arsene Wenger’s side won 3-2, to begin a comeback after they had fallen 2-0 behind to Hull at Wembley.

In a video addressing fans, Cazorla said: “I am very sad to be leaving after so many great times.

“I have loved my time with the club and I will always remember the special moments we had together.

“Our FA Cup win in 2014 is something we will never forget, it was a great moment for me and for the club.

“I want to say thank you very much because you always give me a special support. I am very proud to be part of this club’s history and I want to wish you the best; I will miss you a lot.”

Brooks Koepka vowed there would be no repeat of his Masters mistakes as he looked to emulate Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus by claiming a third US PGA Championship title.

Koepka held a one-shot lead over Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland heading into the final round at Oak Hill, six weeks after enjoying double that advantage following 54 holes of the year’s first major.

The four-time major winner carded a closing 75 at Augusta National to finish second to Jon Rahm, but looks primed to claim his first major since the 2019 US PGA at Bethpage.

Asked what were the main lessons he had learned from Augusta, the former world number one said: “To just never think the way I thought going into the final round. I think that was a big thing for me.

“I won’t do it again the rest of my career. I promise I won’t show up like that on Sunday.

“I was just told that I think only Tiger and Jack have won three (US PGA titles), so that would be pretty special to be in a list or category with them.”

Four major champions were within five shots of Koepka’s lead, with fellow LIV player Bryson DeChambeau three behind on three under and Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler both two under.

Rory McIlroy, who is a member of Oak Hill, was another stroke back on one under.

Quote of the day

“I love when the fans are on you, cheering for you, or you know, giving you crap if you screw up” – Koepka had no problem with the raucous crowds in upstate New York.

Shot of the day

Arguably the luckiest shot of the day at least, Scottie Scheffler saw his second shot on the seventh hole skip through Allen’s Creek and on to dry land.

Round of the day

Brooks Koepka carded a second consecutive 66 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Statistic of the day

Good news for everyone within four shots of Koepka’s lead, although recent evidence suggests all is not lost for the likes of Rory McIlroy either.

Easiest hole

The short par-four 14th again played as the easiest hole, yielding 30 birdies and just three bogeys for an average of 3.645.

Toughest hole

There was not a single birdie recorded on the 485-yard ninth hole, with 33 players making bogey and four making a double bogey for a scoring average of 4.539.

Weather forecast

Mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions return for the final round with highs warming into the low 70s. A west to northwest wind of 10-15mph, gusting to 20mph, will help with the drying and make it feel cooler at times as well.

Key tee times (all BST)

1850 Justin Suh, Tommy Fleetwood
1900 Rory McIlroy, Michael Block
1910 Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler
1920 Corey Conners, Bryson DeChambeau
1930 Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland