Andre Fabre is planning on racking up the air miles with his two smart fillies Place Du Carrousel and Mqse De Sevigne.

Last year’s Prix de l’Opera winner Place Du Carrousel beat the boys in the Prix Foy and proved her stamina over a mile and a half in the process.

She is now bound for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but after that possible trips to the Breeders’ Cup and Hong Kong are in the offing.

Mqse De Sevigne, who has won Group Ones over a mile and 10 furlongs in her last two races, is heading to Newmarket next for the Sun Chariot Stakes before she runs in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Fabre said of Place Du Carrousel, who passed up an option against her own sex in the Prix Vermeille: “I wanted to run her against the colts to see how she did because that is what she is going to be running against in the Arc. I was quite happy.

“She proved she stayed 12 furlongs well.

“I need to discuss things with the owner, but if she remains in good shape she’s quite fresh because she hasn’t run much this year, we could look at big races in the States or in Hong Kong.

“She’s proving that she can handle any sort of ground, but the Arc will be tough. She’s going to run well.”

Of Mqse De Sevigne, Fabre added: “She’s a very nice filly. She will go to Newmarket next back over a mile.

“Her plan is the Breeders’ Cup Mile so running her at Newmarket will sharpen her up a little bit – a mile race will be perfect.

“She has really improved this season, she’s got stronger, but we always liked her. Ground doesn’t matter to her, the ground is always nice at Newmarket.

“Alexis (Pouchin) has a good relationship with her and he will probably be on at Newmarket.”

Ben White is adamant Scotland have learned plenty of lessons from their defeat by South Africa and as a result will become a better team for the remainder of the World Cup.

The scrum-half was “absolutely gutted” by the way the Scots started the tournament, losing 18-3 to the defending world champions in Marseille on Sunday.

It was the first time Gregor Townsend’s side had failed to score a try in a match since November 2020 – the 22-15 defeat at home to France – and was also their lowest-scoring outing since their first game of the 2019 World Cup when they lost 27-3 to Ireland.

Scotland must now win all three of their remaining Pool B matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

White believes the intense test they were handed by South Africa will stand them in good stead for the rest of the campaign.

“It is a World Cup and we’re not out so we have to regroup,” said the 25-year-old. “Playing a team of that quality is only going to better us going forward in this tournament.

“There is going to be a lot of learning from it. I know Gregor is really big on us developing as a team and learning from these situations so we will improve and get better and we will come back better against Tonga.

“We’ve got to make sure now that we’re even more accurate, that we’re better in every moment and we will do that. We’ll learn and get better from it and we will give ourselves a chance of getting out of the group.”

Scotland went into their opener against South Africa with a genuine belief that they could beat them. And although they never got their renowned attacking game properly up and running on Sunday, they went in at half-time buoyed by an encouraging finish to a tightly-contested first half that ended 6-3 to the Boks.

South Africa took control in the second half, however, and the dejected Scots have been licking their wounds over the last few days, trying to reset and regroup ahead of their next game against Tonga in Nice on Sunday, September 24.

“It was gutting, absolutely gutting because you prep for 12 weeks and when you get your foot in the door as we did, you want to try and kick on from that,” said White, who will join Toulon after the World Cup.

“They’re a top side and if you give them a sniff, they’ll take their chances. They were the better team on the day.

“We missed quite a few chances and when we got good field positions we weren’t good enough at all. That’s on us to improve.

“Some of it was down to South Africa though. It’s a great challenge playing the world champions. They’re a top team and for 50 minutes we were in it and had weathered a fair few storms in the first half.

“I felt like if we could have just come out in the second half and built a bit of pressure through our possession game and looked to get the ball a little bit wider into Darcy (Graham) and Duhan (Van der Merwe)’s hands, we could have caused them some troubles but credit to them, they stopped us doing that. It felt like they were slowing us down and we have to learn from that.”

A VAR who made what referees’ chief Howard Webb described as an “error” in awarding a goal to Manchester City in the last round of Premier League matches has been selected as a fourth official for the coming weekend.

Tony Harrington will be on the touchline for the Newcastle v Brentford match on Saturday, and will also be the referee for Friday night’s Championship game between Hull and Coventry as he continues his return from injury.

Harrington and assistant VAR Adam Nunn checked and cleared Nathan Ake’s goal for City against Fulham on September 2, which put them 2-1 up in a game they ultimately won 5-1.

Ake’s header went low into the bottom corner, narrowly passing by his team-mate Akanji who was stood in an offside position. Harrington and Nunn determined that Akanji’s presence had no significant impact on Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Fulham head coach Marco Silva strongly disagreed with the decision to give the goal, and Webb admitted last week that it should not have counted.

“From the outset I think this should have been disallowed. It certainly appears Akanji has an impact on Leno the goalkeeper who seems to hesitate,” Webb told the ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ programme.

“We think it’s a clear situation of offside. Unfortunately it wasn’t identified on the day. This was an error.”

Matt Olson extended his major-league lead with his 49th and 50th home runs of the season, but the Philadelphia Phillies chased Kyle Wright and beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-5, on Monday to split a doubleheader between the National League East's top two teams. 

In the opener, Braves closer Raisel Iglesias blew a save opportunity by allowing two runs in the ninth, but Kevin Pillar and Orlando Arcia had RBI hits in the 10th to lift Atlanta to a 10-8 win.

Olson had a three-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the sixth to become the first left-handed hitter to reach the 50-home run milestone since Chris Davis had 53 for the Baltimore Orioles in 2013.

The first baseman is only the second player in Braves history to hit the mark along with Andruw Jones, who hit 51 in 2005. 

The Phillies hung six runs on Wright in three-plus innings and Brandon Marsh had a solo homer in the fifth to add insurance as Philadelphia stayed atop the NL wild card standings. The Phillies' lead over Chicago for the top spot was trimmed to two games, however, after the Cubs rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies. 

Atlanta's win in the opener reduced the Braves' magic number to four to capture their sixth straight NL East title, which they can clinch by winning the final two contests of this four-game series. 

Heim's grand slam highlights Rangers' rout of Blue Jays

Jonah Heim capped a five-run seventh inning with a grand slam as the Texas Rangers pulled away for a 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a key four-game series between American League playoff contenders.

The victory put the Rangers a half-game ahead of slumping Seattle for the AL's final wild card spot and allowed Texas to close the gap on first-place Houston in the AL West. The Astros were dealt a 4-0 loss by the Oakland Athletics, while the Mariners suffered their fourth straight loss with an 8-5, 11-inning defeat to the Los Angeles Angels.

Texas is now two games back of the Astros and also moved within a half-game of Toronto for the AL's second wild card.

Heim also had an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning before connecting for his third career grand slam, a blast off Genesis Cabrera that staked the Rangers to a 10-3 lead.

Evan Carter added two hits, including his first major league home run, to back six solid innings from Rangers starter Dane Dunning. Corey Seager and Robbie Grossman also finished with two hits and an RBI.

Dunning struck out seven while allowing three runs to record his 10th win of the season. 

Cavan Biggio homered for Toronto and drove in two of the Blue Jays' four runs.

Woodruff throws first shutout as NL Central-leading Brewers trounce Marlins

Brandon Woodruff spun a six-hitter for his first career shutout and the Milwaukee Brewers racked up 17 hits in a 12-0 rout of the Miami Marlins that opened a four-game series.

Woodruff struck out seven while issuing just one walk in a 106-pitch masterpiece that helped Milwaukee to its third win in four games. The Brewers maintained a three-game edge on the second-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central standings.

The right-hander got plenty of offensive support as the Brewers battered Miami starter Jesus Luzardo for six runs in five innings, then scored five times off the Marlins' bullpen in the sixth.

Willy Adames led the charge with three hits and four RBIs, while Tyrone Taylor went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Mark Canha homered among his two hits.

The Marlins entered the series having won eight of 10 to get back into the NL wild-card race, where they now trail Arizona by 1 1/2 games for the final spot. The Diamondbacks came through with a 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Monday. 

A stunning 65-yard kick return touchdown by rookie Xavier Gipson handed the New York Jets an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in a thrilling game on Tuesday.

The Jets came away with the 22-16 win over the Bills at home but it was not without loss, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers succumbing to an Achilles tendon injury just four plays into the game.

Asked about the injury after the game, Jets coach Robert Salah simply said: “It’s not good.”

Before the exciting finish to the game, the Bills forced overtime after they were down by three points with just seconds left.

But Bills kicker Tyler Bass rose to the occasion and nailed a 50-yard field goal to tie the game with two seconds remaining.

The Bills started the match the better of the two teams, with two field goals by Bass and a touchdown by wide-receiver Stefon Diggs giving them a 10-point lead at half-time.

However the Jets rallied in the second half with a touchdown by Garrett Wilson in the fourth quarter and a field goal from Greg Zuerlein putting them three points ahead.

It was not until the final seconds of the game that the Bills scored their first points of the second half.

The kick-return from Gipson ended a dramatic first week of the NFL with the Jets taking on the Dallas Cowboys next week, while the Bills will play the Las Vegas Raiders.

After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first game with the New York Jets lasted all of four snaps.

Rodgers will not return to Monday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills after injuring his left ankle on the Jets' opening series, a sudden and stunning ending to one of the most anticipated player debuts with a new team in recent memory. 

Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The four-time NFL MVP briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart.

The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter. The team said in a statement that X-rays on Rodgers' ankle were negative but did not elaborate further.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete.

Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy 18-year career with the Green Bay Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.

The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.

Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers would get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met. 

With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010. 

After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first season with the New York Jets may be over after only four snaps. 

Rodgers was injured on the opening series of the Jets' 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in Monday's season opener, with head coach Robert Saleh telling reporters afterward the team fears the four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon.

Saleh said Rodgers, who was traded to New York in April following a stellar 18-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, will undergo an MRI Tuesday to confirm the severity of the injury. 

"We're concerned with his Achilles," Saleh said. "An MRI is going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it's not good."

Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The star quarterback briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart before having his leg placed in a walking boot. 

The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter.

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete, and threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with under five minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 13-13. The Jets eventually won on a 65-yard punt return touchdown from rookie Xavier Gipson with 9:02 left in overtime.

Zach Wilson finished with 140 yards on 14-of-21 passing with one touchdown and one interception. 

Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.

The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.

Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers will get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met. 

With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed to a new one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday, ending the star defender’s holdout.

The club later confirmed Jones’ new contract by posting on social media.

Jones will presumably make his season debut on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team has yet to confirm his availability.

Jones, who missed all of training camp and sat out the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, did not get any years added to his deal, but the new agreement reportedly carries additional incentives that will allow for possible bonuses.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection can still become a free agent after this season.

Jones, 29, has emerged as one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the NFL and has helped the Chiefs win two of the last four Super Bowls.

“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said in a statement.

“He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs, and it was a priority to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.”

Jones lost over $1.6million during his holdout in fines and forfeited salary and bonuses. Each additional week of holding out would have cost him $1.1million in lost salary.

A second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State in 2016, Jones is on the last season of the four-year, $80million deal he signed in July 2020.

Jones had perhaps the best season of his career last year, totaling 15 ½ sacks and 29 quarterback hits while playing in all 17 games and earning a second Super Bowl ring.

In 107 career games, Jones has 65 sacks, 65 tackles for loss, 12 forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Freddie Steward has revealed that England’s heroic defensive stand against Argentina was inspired by a blast from Kevin Sinfield that was delivered in the wake of their Fiji debacle.

Steve Borthwick’s team opened their World Cup campaign with a 27-10 victory on Saturday despite playing 77 minutes with 14 men after Tom Curry was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.

It was England’s finest hour since Borthwick took over and it arrived just in time as, until that act of defiance at the Stade Velodrome, concerns were being raised over a defence that had leaked 30 tries in nine Tests.

A conclusive defeat by Fiji at Twickenham a fortnight earlier saw the team reach their lowest ebb – and Steward admits the players deserved the reaction from Sinfield that followed.

“We got a bit of a rocket after that game. There were no complaints about that, it needed to happen,” the Leicester full-back said.

“We had a very thorough review, which we needed, and we reaped the benefits against Argentina. It was necessary for that to happen.

“That’s what makes Kev such a good defence coach – he’s so inspiring. He motivates us so much and he’s the sort of bloke you don’t want to let down.

“That’s testament to him as a bloke. When you go out there, part of it is you do it for him.

“You don’t want to see a guy like that, who puts his heart and soul into us in his work with his defence, feel let down.

“Kev is big on covering each other’s backs. That’s his big thing. He wants a defensive unit that are going to work incredibly hard for each other and, when it goes wrong, cover up for each other.

“Inevitably, you can be as good a defender as you want as a full-back but there are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan and that is where you get tested. That’s his main ethos.”

Now that England have successfully negotiated their biggest match since the 2019 World Cup final, they have been challenged by Sinfield to ensure their defensive masterclass in Marseille is not a one-off.

“It is just a start. We saw lots of what we had seen in training against Argentina, which is pleasing, but I still feel there is so much in this team – so much improvement, so much growth,” Sinfield said.

“To get the win, given the noise that has been around us and the way the group have really circled the wagons – metaphorically that is – is really pleasing.

“We saw a fight, a spirit and attitude that the people at home supporting us and in the ground would have loved to have seen, and for us as coaches that is particularly pleasing, (but) we know we need to be better.

“Part of our challenge as coaches and part of the challenge of the playing group is to ensure this is not an anomaly, it is the start.”

Curry faces a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday night when he is expected to learn the length of his ban for the dangerous challenge that led to a clash of heads with Juan Cruz Mallia.

Wales kept their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 win in Latvia as Aaron Ramsey’s 100th career goal and a David Brooks clincher lifted the pressure on under-fire manager Rob Page.

Ramsey stroked home a 29th-minute penalty – his 21st goal for Wales – before Brooks, on as a substitute for the injured captain, settled matters in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

The victory was Wales’ second in 14 attempts and gives them renewed hope that they can claim a top-two place in Group D.

On a night when Wales simply had to win or be left with a play-off route to Germany next summer, there was further good news before kick-off as group leaders Croatia did them a favour by winning 1-0 in Armenia.

Croatia are Wales’ next Euro opponents in Cardiff next month, and Page can now look forward to that game after heading to Riga with huge question marks over his future.

The 49-year-old was feted as a national hero after leading Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years, but poor performances at that tournament and in this campaign had prompted large parts of the fan base to call for managerial change.

Page had drawn encouragement from Thursday’s friendly with South Korea – and he named 10 of the side who started that goalless draw in Cardiff.

Captain Ramsey returned in place of Nathan Broadhead as Burnley’s Connor Roberts won his 50th cap.

Jordan James made his first competitive start and the 19-year-old suggested he may be a mainstay of the Wales midfield for some time to come.

Latvia had drawn a complete blank in Euro 2024 qualifying, losing all four games, with three of them – including a 1-0 away defeat to Wales in March – by a single goal margin.

The tiny three-sided Skonto Stadium, with cars parked behind one goal, seemed at odds with what was such an important night in Welsh football. But over 1,000 Wales fans were in a crowd of 6,464.

There had been a mood of sporting celebration in Riga throughout the day as Latvians turned out to honour their basketball players, who had recorded a best finish of fifth at the sport’s World Cup, in the city.

Wales should have had the perfect start inside 75 seconds when Ethan Ampadu released Brennan Johnson but Tottenham’s new striker skied over on his unfavoured left side.

Ampadu was off-target from a Harry Wilson corner but Wales were threatening at set-pieces.

Chris Mepham met another Wilson corner at the far post and Ben Davies reached the deflected ball first to force Roberts Ozols into a flying save in the Latvian goal.

Chances continued to come and go for Wales with Johnson wayward again and Ozols producing stops to deny Wilson and Roberts.

There was a danger that frustration would creep in, but Latvia provided a helping hand when Kaspars Dubra bundled over Wilson after 28 minutes.

The incident survived a VAR check for a potential offside in the build-up and Ramsey coolly converted for his landmark goal.

Wales should have been out of sight in the next 10 minutes as Neco Williams and Johnson fired wide when well-placed and Ozols denied Wilson again.

Latvia had shown nothing as an attacking force for 41 minutes before suddenly bursting into life.

Ward shovelled out a Janis Ikaunieks header that Roberts had to clear as the Latvian striker prepared to pounce for the rebound, while Raimonds Krollis almost profited twice after being left unguarded.

Wales suffered a blow four minutes into the second half when Ramsey signalled to the bench to come off, with David Brooks taking his place.

The worry was that Wales would miss Ramsey’s stabilising influence and Krollis went close after Johnson had driven wide.

Latvia might have been reduced to 10 men when Ikaunieks aimed a wild kick at James.

Slovakian referee Michal Ocenas brandished a yellow card before being asked to review the decision at the VAR monitor. After a two-minute check Ocenas stuck with his original decision and Ikaunieks escaped further sanction.

The final quarter became very fragmented with a series of niggly fouls.

Ikaunieks’ 20-yard shot flew into the side netting and, while that would have represented the cruellest punishment for Wales, Brooks ended matters by racing on to Wilson’s pass and scoring with the most delicious of chips.

Paul Pogba could face a lengthy ban after failing a drugs test, according to reports in Italy which emerged shortly after the Juventus midfielder revealed he almost walked away from football after allegedly being blackmailed by an organised crime gang.

It is claimed the France international tested positive for testosterone in a random drugs test following Juventus’ Serie A game against Udinese on August 20, when he was an unused substitute.

Elevated levels of testosterone were reported to have been found, which means Pogba’s second sample would also need to be checked.

According to Italian media, Pogba has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the result. If found guilty of doping, a suspension of between two and four years could reportedly be handed out.

The PA news agency has contacted Juventus and the Italian Football Federation for comment.

Earlier on Monday, former Manchester United midfielder Pogba said he was almost driven to walk away from football after allegedly being blackmailed by an organised crime gang.

The 30-year-old’s brother Mathias was detained in September 2022 on suspicion of involvement in the alleged plot, which Paul Pogba claimed amounted to a bid to extort £11.1million from him.

Mathias Pogba was released in December and denies the charges.

Paul Pogba reported the incident to Turin prosecutors in July of last year, shortly after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer in order to rejoin Juventus.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Paul Pogba said: “When there is money you have to be careful. Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war.

“Sometimes I was just by myself thinking: ‘I don’t want to have money anymore. I just don’t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money.’

“Sometimes it’s tough. This life, you have to go through it. It will only make me stronger.”

Laure Beccuau, a Paris prosecutor, said the investigation was looking into allegations of “blackmail by an armed gang, kidnapping and membership of a criminal conspiracy”.

Mathias Pogba is himself a professional footballer, with the 33-year-old having represented Crewe, Crawley, Wrexham and Partick Thistle, as well as the national team of Guinea.

He is currently without a club after leaving French lower-league side Belfort in 2022.