Just Beautiful will miss the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot as connections plot a course to the Breeders’ Cup.

Trained by Paddy Twomey, the five-year-old built on a comeback run in the Athasi Stakes to claim the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes from the front in great style at the Curragh last month, a victory that saw Just Beautiful trimmed to 5-1 for the Duke of Cambridge behind general favourite Inspiral.

However, with the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita highlighted as the mares’ main objective at the back-end of the season, a trip to Ascot is off the cards with Newmarket’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (July 14) or a cross-Channel raid to Deauville entering the agenda as a potential next port of call.

Twomey said: “She’s not going (to Ascot). I would say she will go to Deauville maybe. We may look at the Falmouth, but she might go to France for the Prix Maurice De Gheest (August 6) or Prix Rothschild (July 30).

“The long-term aim would be the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.”

While Just Beautiful will not be sighted at the Royal meeting, one who looks to have a fine chance of breaking Twomey’s duck at the summer showpiece is well-regarded two-year-old Noche Magica.

An impressive winner at Cork on debut, he was agonisingly rUn down when sent off favourite for the Marble Hill over six furlongs next time, a reverse that will see him drop back in trip for the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot.

Twomey continued: “We’ll run Noche Magica in the Norfolk Stakes. He’s a nice horse with a high cruising speed and we’re looking forward to running him.”

England will face Portugal on July 1 in their final home warm-up match before flying to Australia for the Women’s World Cup.

Sarina Wiegman’s side are due to leave for the tournament four days after the meeting with their fellow finalists in Milton Keynes, with the game to kick-off at 3:15pm and be broadcast live on ITV.

Their opening game of the competition, which is being hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand, is against Haiti in Brisbane on 22 July, before the team fly to Sydney to face Denmark then finish the group stage against China in Adelaide.

Wiegman finalised her squad for the World Cup, which England are looking to win for the first time following their Euro 2022 triumph last summer, in May with Arsenal’s Beth Mead a notable absence through injury.

Portugal are competing for the first time in the World Cup and are building on their first major tournament appearances at the last two editions of the European Championships.

Canada will be England’s final warm-up opponents in a behind-closed-doors friendly on July 14.

“I am really pleased to have a competitive game for our last home fixture,” said Wiegman. “We had two big games in April against Brazil and Australia where we learned so much.

“This will be another challenging match against a team that have performed well and are going to their first World Cup.

“Portugal will also want to show they can be a threat to teams in Australia, and they have very technical players with good ability. For us, it will be important to come together again as a team after the end of the club season and feel the support of our fans.

“We will do our best to give them a good performance. It will only be three weeks until our opening World Cup game so it will be such an important moment in our preparation.”

The Football Association and Women’s Super League clubs had been in a dispute over the release date for players called up to the squad.

The FIFA-sanctioned date by which clubs must make players available is July 10, just 10 days before the tournament kicks off.

It was reported last week that the FA had planned for the squad to meet up on June 19, though a formal agreement between parties took time to reach.

That date has now been confirmed by the FA, which said in a statement: “We are grateful for the mutual understanding of the clubs, as we have collectively worked towards a solution with the wellbeing of players at the heart.”

England beat Portugal the last time the sides met competitively, Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris scoring the goals in a 2-1 win for the Lionesses in the Euro 2017 group stage.

Mimikyu bids to open her account for the season in the Sky Bet Lester Piggott Stakes at Haydock.

The daughter of Dubawi saw off the reopposing Time Lock to land a novice event over this course and distance 12 months ago and went on to win a Newmarket handicap and the Group Two Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster before the end of her three-year-old campaign.

She was narrowly beaten by River Of Stars in the Bronte Cup at York a fortnight ago and joint-trainer Thady Gosden is expecting her to take a step forward in a race his father John and owner George Strawbridge won in 2016 with Mimikyu’s sister and subsequent Group One heroine Journey.

He said: “She ran a very nice race first time out this year in the Bronte when just denied.

“She’s come out of that well. She’s obviously dropping back down in trip two furlongs at Haydock and she’s got the hood off, which will help we think.

“It was fast ground at York last time and she’s won on soft, so she’s not ground dependent, and Haydock is a nice, even track for her.”

Following her neck defeat to Mimikyu at Haydock in June last year, Time Lock went on to push fellow Juddmonte-owned filly Haskoy close in the Galtres Stakes at York.

The winner went on to go close in the St Leger and won a Group Three on her recent reappearance, while Time Lock again finished second on her comeback in a Listed race at Goodwood.

Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon is hoping for a sound surface on Merseyside to give Time Lock the best chance of running up to her best.

He said: “Hopefully we get good to firm ground as we want proper summer ground for her, so hopefully there’ll be no over-watering going on.

“I think she’s going to develop into a good filly this year. She’s a big, scopey filly and hopefully she could develop into a very good filly.”

Roger Varian switches Modaara to the turf following a 13-length victory on the all-weather at Kempton, while German hopes are carried by the Peter Schiergen-trained Nachtrose.

William Haggas won last year’s renewal with Sea La Rosa and would love to follow up in a race now named in honour of his legendary late father-in-law with Sea Silk Road.

Haggas said: “I think it is a great honour that officials at Haydock Park have named the race in memory of Lester. The family are absolutely thrilled.

“Haydock was the place where Lester had his first winner and rode his last winner so there is no more appropriate venue to have a race run in his memory.”

He added: “It would be lovely if Sea Silk Road could win on Saturday. She is a filly that has not yet won a Group race but she won a Listed race last year and was second in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot.

“First time out this year in the Middleton they went too slow for her over that extended mile and a quarter and she didn’t really relax.

“She has come forwards for that run though and going back to a mile and a half I think will suit her. We are hopeful she will go well.”

The field is completed by Poptronic, who finished third behind the Gosdens’ Free Wind in the Middleton Stakes and trainer Karl Burke feels she may have been underestimated in the market.

“She ran a good, solid race first time up and will improve for stepping up to the mile and a half. I think they’re making her the outsider of the field, but she’ll run a good race, she’s a good filly and she’s in good form,” said the Spigot Lodge handler.

Ex-Williams driver Susie Wolff has urged Formula One team principals to back new initiatives designed to accelerate the debut of the championship’s next female driver – someone she predicts is a 12 to 14-year-old girl today.

Wolff is now the managing director of the F1 Academy, the all-female single-seater series which debuted in April and next season will join F1 race weekends, ultimately aiming to launch drivers into higher levels of competition.

It has been almost 50 years since a woman – Lella Lombardi – started an F1 Grand Prix. Wolff is adamant one will do so again, but believes the success of corresponding efforts rests in ensuring they are not seen as segregated from the sport as a whole.

“That day will come. Of that I have no doubt because we’re doing too much and we’re putting (up) too many strong foundations for it not to happen,” the former Formula E Venturi Racing team principal and CEO told the PA news agency.

“When I was announced in my new role in Bahrain I met all the team principals and I said ‘please don’t look at this as a woman’s initiative run by a woman. This is for the greater good of this sport. It’s for the greater good of your platform, for the business, but we have the chance to also inspire other industries by getting this right.’

“The success of F1 Academy and Discover Your Drive will come down to the collective, it will come down to the whole community of the sport getting on board and really understanding that this will be for the greater good of all of us.

“But I will be hugely, hugely proud when I see a woman either on track or off track and they are in a top position because of F1 Academy. That will definitely be a moment where we can take a moment of real pride.”

F1 Academy Discover Your Drive, launched this week, is a global initiative targeted at girls.

Central among the programme’s ambitions is talent identification. In the UK, that means closing a considerable gap, with females accounting for just five per cent of all senior Motorsport UK race-license holders.

The first phase will begin with six Motorsport UK venues, with plans to expand to 35 next year.

Instructors have been trained to identify promising girls aged 8-12, who will  be offered development sessions designed to facilitate a move into junior karting – potentially the first step on a road to F1 like it was for Brits Lando Norris and George Russell.

Spotting talent at an early age is a critical component for Wolff, who was 12 when she started believing motorsport could be her career, and in 2014 became the first woman in 22 years to take part in an F1 race weekend when she took the wheel for a practice session at Silverstone.

She said:  “That’s the age that if you want to get to the pinnacle of the sport, you need to start having an idea of, ok, I need to do this more often.”

Wolff eventually hopes to see some of those girls in F1 Academy, which consists of seven three-race rounds. Five are on current F1 circuits, including the season finale alongside the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

The incentive for the eventual champion is tantalising, while the prospect of joining the F1 calendar in 2024 looks to benefit the entire grid.

“Our winner is guaranteed to move on,” Wolff vowed. “We will put the budget together for her to progress. I’m not committed to which series because I want it to be the best progression for the driver.

“But I think moving onto the global stage brings much more possibilities for the drivers to get backing and make sure they’re finding people that will help them further in their career.

“Because in the end not everyone is going to make it to Formula 1, but if they can go on to be successful in a different category or area, then I think that is still something that can still be seen as a success for the Academy.”

Ange Postecoglou has promised “a team to get excited by” as he strives for success after being appointed as Tottenham head coach.

The Australian takes up the post having guided Celtic to the domestic treble north of the border, signing a four-year contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Postecoglou, 57, takes the reins after Antonio Conte’s dismissal in March and interim runs for both Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason.

Spurs finished eighth at the end of a dismal season, their worst Premier League position since 2008, and Postecoglou is ready to get started on turning those fortunes around.

“It’s great to finally get started as manager of this great football club,” he said in a video message posted on the club’s social media accounts.

“I’m really looking forward to our task ahead. I think it’s an exciting opportunity for us to now set off on a new direction, play football and create an environment that embodies the values and traditions of this fantastic football club.

“Hopefully a team that you can all be proud of, and more importantly get excited by.

“I can assure you that right through pre-season we won’t leave any stone unturned, myself, the staff and the players, to make sure that when the league comes around you will be as excited as I am about the season ahead.

“So I really look forward to seeing everyone at the stadium, in particular at our first home game, and I look forward to the journey ahead.”

Australian challenger The Astrologist gets the opportunity to reassert his Royal Ascot claims in the Sky Bet John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

Trained in partnership by the father and son team of Leon and Troy Corstens, the six-year-old has been placed at Group One level on multiple occasions in his homeland and was beaten just a head by Danyah in the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan in March.

That excellent effort encouraged connections to target the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the big meeting and he made his British debut in last month’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes under Ryan Moore.

While on the face of it The Astrologist’s performance in finishing seventh at York was underwhelming, hopes in the camp are high he can bounce back to something like his best on Merseyside.

“We’re very happy with the way he came through York. Obviously, as everyone knows, he needed the run and that is why he is having another run before Ascot,” said assistant trainer Dom Sutton.

“It is a strange one because we were hoping he’d have a little bit more residual fitness from Dubai, but it was a formula we’d never used before – he’d never had eight weeks between a run and obviously he had to deal with the flight and the travel.

“Back in Australia we use barrier trials as stepping stones to getting them to the races and obviously we couldn’t do that here, so we were kind of a little bit in the dark.

“He handled everything well leading up to York and we were hoping he could run a nice, bold race, but Ryan got off him and said in the last furlong he really needed it.”

With a step up from six to seven furlongs not expected to be an issue on a flat track and fast ground, Sutton is optimistic about his chances of victory, with Moore once again in the saddle.

He added: “He’s been pretty competitive over seven furlongs back home, the ground should suit and he’s ticked every box fitness-wise and gallops-wise in between runs, so hopefully it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Looking at the field you’d hope that he’ll be going pretty close. If circumstances mean he doesn’t win, as long as he’s hitting the line and running well we’ll be happy.”

A horse going the other way in distance is the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Jumby, who was last seen finishing down the field over a mile in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

The son of New Bay won the Group Two Hungerford Stakes over the intermediate trip last summer and his trainer is confident of a bold showing.

She said: “He’s won a Group Two over seven furlongs and a mile just stretched him in the Lockinge.

“He likes fast ground and we’ve been very pleased with him since Newbury.”

El Caballo bids to get his season back on track for the in-form Karl Burke team.

The four-year-old won his first four starts of last year, including the Group Two Sandy Lane at Haydock, but disappointed in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and missed the rest of the campaign.

He trailed home last of 10 runners on his reappearance in the Cammidge Trophy on heavy ground at Doncaster and Burke is hoping conditions will be more favourable.

“We don’t want fast ground and I’m just hoping they put a decent amount of water on – they usually do at Haydock,” said the Spigot Lodge handler.

“We’ve got to get him started, he’s working really well and if we can’t run here on good, fast ground we’re going to struggle for the rest of the summer.

“Hopefully he can go and show himself to good effect. We’re stepping up to seven furlongs, he’s won over seven and I think that will help him.

“This looks a nice race for him to go for and he’s still got the ability, I have no doubt about that.”

Tim Easterby’s Boardman and the Charlie Fellowes-trained Gorak are both course and distance winners but face a step up in class, while Stan Moore’s The Wizard Of Eye, who also contested the Lockinge last month, completes the line-up.

Comparisons with her idol Rafael Nadal may be distinctly premature but Iga Swiatek can take another step towards establishing her own dynasty at Roland Garros with a third title on Saturday.

The Pole has only suffered two defeats on the Parisian clay, winning her first title as an unseeded teenager in 2020 then reclaiming it last year.

Swiatek is yet to drop a set this year – although she was pushed hard in the semi-finals by Beatriz Haddad Maia – and will be a big favourite to beat Czech Karolina Muchova for what would be her fourth grand slam title overall.

 

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“Rafa, what he did and what he’s still doing, it’s pretty amazing,” said the 22-year-old.

“So it was totally out of my reach. And still he played so well so many years. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible for me. But I just try to compete, keep it cool year by year and just do everything step by step.”

At 43rd in the world, Muchova is the fourth-lowest ranked woman to reach the final of the French Open, continuing a trend of unexpected slam contenders.

The Czech certainly has not come from nowhere though, having made at least the quarter-finals at every slam except the US Open, and would surely have been a consistent member of the top 20 but for injuries.

She produced a stunning victory over second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday, battling back from 5-2 down in the deciding set and saving a match point in a three-hour epic.

What stood out most was Muchova’s variety and intelligence as she fought Sabalenka’s pace with craft and guile.

Her final opponent is a fan, with Swiatek saying: “I really like her game. I really respect her, and she’s, I feel like, a player who can do anything. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game.

“She plays with that kind of freedom in her movements. And she has a great technique. So I watched her matches and I feel like I know her game pretty well.”

Muchova’s style is a throwback in a game now dominated by power, but the 26-year-old is happy to be different.

“I think I have it like that in everything in life, I don’t really want to be like anyone else,” she said.

“It’s the type of game I enjoy and I believe in. We are trying to improve it with the team. Now we can see as well that it works, so that’s nice. I’ll keep it this way.”

The strength of Czech women’s tennis is one of the enduring wonders of the game. Ten of the world’s top 100 hail from the country and they have a number of promising teenagers.

“I’ve been asked this every time I’m in the press conference,” said Muchova when asked for an explanation of her country’s success.

“I think I’m always trying to come up with a different answer to make it a little different. I think there is plenty of Czech players playing, good Czech players, and the younger generations, they look up to us and we practise with them.

“I think they can see it’s possible to be a top tennis player. We have as well great coaches.”

Muchova and Swiatek’s only previous meeting came back in 2019, when the Czech won a close battle.

Intriguingly, Muchova maintained her perfect record against players ranked in the top three by beating Sabalenka, extending it to 5-0.

“I don’t think I will be the favourite,” she said. “It’s nice. I didn’t really even know about this statistic.

“It just shows me that I can play against them. I can compete, and obviously the matches are super close. It’s great to know that I win against the top players, and that for sure boosts my confidence.”

Karl Burke expects to have a clearer idea of Cuban Slide’s capabilities after he contests the bet365 Two Year Old Trophy at Beverley on Saturday.

The Spigot Lodge handler has been firing in juvenile winners left, right and centre this season and few were more impressive on debut than this son of Havana Grey.

Cuban Slide was an odds-on favourite for a five-furlong novice event at Musselburgh and justified the cramped odds with a nine-length demolition job.

But while that Scottish success was visually striking, Burke is not convinced of the depth of the race and is anticipating he will learn more about his colt’s big-race credentials in East Yorkshire this weekend.

“I think he’s a nice horse, he’s obviously got good ability and he works well at home,” he said.

“I don’t think it was much of a race that he won, so we’re on a finding-out mission as much as anything.

“I do think he’s useful, but whether he’s top class or not I’m not sure. Stepping up to six furlongs could see him to good effect, but he’s not slow and a stiff five with a good draw should be fine.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him run and learning a bit more about him.”

Richard Fahey is represented by Bombay Bazaar, a Kodiac juvenile who also comes into this in winning form having been victorious over the course and distance last month.

He was previously third in a Thirsk maiden when beaten four lengths, with Kevin Ryan’s Sergeant Wilko the winner and Dominic Ffrench Davis’ Valadero the runner-up.

The latter was previously second in the Brocklesby, while Sergeant Wilko has some positive collateral form having finished second on debut to Hugo Palmer’s Balon d’Or – subsequently third in the Lily Agnes and second in the Woodcote.

Next time out Bombay Bazaar got off the mark by an easy four and a quarter lengths and Fahey is looking forward to seeing him return to the Westwood.

“He improved a lot for his first and second runs and he seems to have gone on again,” Fahey said.

“I don’t know what he beat that day (at Beverley) but he beat them well, he will be a better horse again and whether or not he’s good enough, we’ll see.

“The form will do and we’re getting better, so we’ll see.”

Other contenders include the Ryan-trained Room Service, who was a debut winner at Wetherby, and Richard Hannon’s Fusterlandia, second on his introduction at Leicester late last month.

Andrew Balding’s Loaded Gun, David O’Meara’s Scoops Ahoy and the unraced Mehigburn from Roger Fell and Sean Murray’s yard complete the field.

Britain’s oldest living Olympian Edna Child died in May aged 100, the British Olympic Association announced on Friday.

Child competed in the 1948 London Olympics in diving, despite a fear of heights, and later became a British Empire Games champion.

A post on the Team GB’s Twitter account read: “Condolences to the family and friends of 1948 diving Olympian Edna Child, who passed away in May.

“Aged 100, Edna was Britain’s oldest living Olympian.”

Child won the bronze medal in the 1938 European Championships aged just 15 but her promising career was put on hold during the Second World War as she joined the army.

Once her career resumed she finished sixth in London, but won gold in the springboard and platform at the 1950 British Empire Games – now known as the Commonwealth Games – in Auckland.

Ziggy’s Phoenix makes a swift return to action as she bids for a third win this season in the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley on Saturday.

The two-year-old, who is owned by Middleham Park Racing, won a Ripon novice earlier in the season and was then victorious in the Lily Agnes at Chester.

She subsequently headed to Chantilly in search of Listed honours in the Prix la Fleche, but could finish only fourth of eight runners in the hands of Gerald Mosse.

Richard Hannon sends the Kodiac filly back into battle just six days later, with connections “hopeful” the quick turnaround will not be a problem.

“She got caught out on a wing and raced away from the rail in France, but she kept on well to the line,” said Middleham Park’s director of racing, Tim Palin.

“She is down in grade a notch to a level she’s already been successful at and escapes a penalty.

“We’re backing her up quite quickly, but she’s got a decent draw (stall four) this time and we go there hopeful.”

Richard Fahey saddles Midnight Affair, a daughter of Dark Angel who caught the eye finishing second to the Royal Ascot-bound Soprano on her debut at Newmarket last month.

Midnight Affair was unlucky not to make more of a race of it after meeting traffic problems and is a hot favourite to go one better on the Westwood under Danny Tudhope.

“She ran a good race first time out. Things didn’t happen for her, but she still went well for a first run,” said Fahey.

“She’s drawn in stall six and I’d be happy with that.”

Other hopefuls include Charlie Johnston’s Never Fear, the winner of a Wolverhampton maiden, and Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, who was beaten just half a length when fourth at Sandown on debut.

Tallulabelle (David O’Meara), Alfa Moonstone (Craig Lidster), Callianassa (Brian Ellison), Miss Woo Woo (Robert Cowell) and La Boo (Mick and David Easterby) complete the field.

Careless footwork and sloppy catching halted Australia’s progress as India fought back on the third morning of the World Test Championship final at the Oval.

Australia enjoyed a dream start when Scott Boland scattered Srikar Bharat’s stumps with the second ball of the day, leaving India 317 behind with just four wickets in hand, but despite creating plenty of chances that was the only breakthrough of the session.

Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green and David Warner all put down chances to allow a century stand between Ajinkya Rahane (89no) and Shardul Thakur (36no) to shore up India on 260 for six at lunch, a deficit of 209.

Captain Pat Cummins also erred, denied a possible wicket for the second time in the innings due to a front-foot no-ball. He had Rahane lbw for 17 on day two, only for replays to show he had overstepped, and he saw history repeating itself just before the break when he had Thakur given out after being struck on the knee-roll.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough immediately raised his finger, much to Australia’s relief, but a DRS review showed Cummins had once again failed to get anything behind the line.

Boland, pushing hard to retain his place for next week’s Ashes opener at Edgbaston, started superbly as he ripped his second delivery through a small gap between Bharat’s bat and pad and straight into middle.

Had Thakur’s thick edge been held by Khawaja in the cordon four balls later, India may well have struggled to come back from it. Instead the ball squirmed out of his fingertips and the battle continued.

Thakur needed plenty of bravery to stick around, requiring lengthy treatment after being hit three times by Cummins in a single over – wearing blows on the forearm, wrist and glove.

Having softened him up, the seamer should have got his rewards when Thakur sprayed a chance to gully but this time Green’s handiwork let him down.

With Thakur in a state of almost permanent danger, Rahane gave the vocal Indian crowd something to cheer when he hooked Cummins over fine-leg for six to bring up his half-century.

He passed 5,000 Test runs soon after, the 13th Indian to do so, but he also required a stroke of fortune to reach the break.

On 72 he aimed a flowing drive at Cummins, sending a head-high catch to first slip. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey appeared to offer a minor distraction to Warner, but he will still be kicking himself after seeing the ball pop out and land safe.

A handful of boundaries took the partnership into three figures as India began to have some fun, while Australia’s annoyance only increased when Cummins saw his lbw against Thakur overturned by the no-ball call.

Plans remain fluid for Soul Sister following her Betfred Oaks triumph at Epsom last week.

Disappointing in a soft ground Fred Darling at Newbury on her three-year-old debut, the Frankel filly bounced back with a surprise victory in the Musidora Stakes at York last month.

Soul Sister proved that was no fluke by clinching Classic glory on the Surrey Downs a week ago under Frankie Dettori and she holds an entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, while joint-trainer Thady Gosden reports the three-year-old to have taken her Epsom exertions well, connections have not got as far as finalising the next plan of attack.

“She’s come out of it well. Obviously every Classic is a hard race, but she seems happy and well in herself at home,” said Gosden.

“We’ll see how she is, but it was fantastic to win the Oaks with her.”

On the other side of the coin there was disappointment for the Gosden team ahead of the Oaks, with their other leading contender Running Lion withdrawn on veterinary advice just seconds before the off after kicking the back gate of the starting stalls.

The daughter of Roaring Lion is set to bid for compensation and redemption in the French equivalent, the Prix de Diane, at Chantilly on Sunday week.

“It was obviously frustrating with Running Lion, it was sort of a freak event really. The plan is for her to go to France, I think,” Gosden added.

Cory Hill has become the latest player to withdraw from Wales’ preliminary World Cup training squad.

The former Cardiff and Dragons lock, who had been playing in Japan, was recalled by Wales head coach Warren Gatland following two years out of Test rugby.

But 31-year-old Hill has pulled out of the squad to pursue a club contract opportunity outside of Wales, the Welsh Rugby Union said.

“I am gutted to be leaving the squad, but an opportunity has come up and I need to take it for my family,” Hill said.

“Wishing the boys all the best at the World Cup, and I hope to be back in a Wales jersey in the future.”

Gatland named a 54-man group last month for the tournament in France later this year.

Lock Alun Wyn Jones, flanker Justin Tipuric and scrum-half Rhys Webb, who have 291 Wales caps between them, subsequently announced their retirements from international rugby.

And Cardiff prop Rhys Carre was then released from the squad after he failed to meet individual performance targets.

The PA news agency understands that Gatland has no plans to call up a replacement for Hill, whose new club want him available for them during the World Cup period in September and October.

Hill made his Wales debut against Australia in 2016, while a 32nd and latest appearance came during the 2021 Six Nations against France.

Gatland’s remaining second-row options in his squad are Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Rhys Davies, Teddy Williams and Christ Tshiunza.

Lawrence Shankland is hoping to end his “really strong season” by helping Scotland take another big stride towards Euro 2024.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed arguably the best campaign of his career as he scored 28 goals and earned the captaincy in his first year at Hearts, whom he joined last summer from Belgian club Beerschot.

Shankland’s form at Tynecastle earned him a first Scotland cap for two and a half years in the victory over Spain in March, and he has retained his place in the squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers away to Norway and at home to Georgia.

“When you get to the end of a season you get the chance to look back and assess it,” Shankland told the Scottish Football Association.

“For me, it was a really strong season. My performances throughout the season were to a really high standard and I was really happy with them.

“The number of goals I managed to chip in with was great. It was my first season at Hearts as well so it was good to get off to a good start. The captaincy was an opportunity that I probably didn’t expect when I first went to Hearts but when it was offered to me I was keen to take on that role.

“I felt it was something that would improve my all-round game, improve me as a person, and I felt I took it in my stride and handled it really well. It’s been a huge learning opportunity for me and hopefully it stands me in good stead for the future.”

Shankland has won five Scotland caps but he admits such a scenario would have been a pipe dream when he found himself without a club and pondering getting a job away from football when he was released by Aberdeen in 2017. He eventually joined Ayr and set about rebuilding his career.

“There’s been a lot of rejections along the way but it comes down to hard work and determination really,” he said, reflecting on his rise. “You have your end goals and what you want to achieve in your career.

“There have been times when I couldn’t have dreamed of getting a Scotland cap. But you just need to knuckle down and if you keep working hard, things pay off and you get these opportunities.

“I’ve taken most of them first time and did well at most of the clubs I’ve been at. It has been a bit of an up-and-down journey but I’ve worked hard and I feel like I deserve what’s come my way.”

The Scotland squad are currently at a training camp in Spain gearing up for their showdown with Norway in Oslo a week on Saturday.

Steve Clarke’s side sit top of their qualifying section after winning their opening two matches and know that a good share of points from their two outings this month will leave them firmly on course for the finals in Germany next summer.

“It’s been good to meet up and get everybody back together,” said Shankland.

“The wee break in between (the end of the club season) gives us a bit of time to do a training camp and I think that’s important for us before we go into the game week next week.

“The training’s been good and the weather’s been nice. The last two games we had really good results and we’ve given ourselves a really good opportunity going into these two games. If we get positive results we could be in a really good position.”

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