Nicky Henderson’s exciting French import Excello upset odds-on favourite Solo when running out a ready winner of the Howden Graduation Chase at Ascot.

In a contest previously won by the likes of Top Notch, Riders Onthe Storm and L’Homme Presse, Solo set out to lead all the way and looked comfortable enough out in front.

However, four-year-old Excello was also travelling well and jumped alongside the pacesetter at the third-last before powering past him on the home turn.

Two good jumps up the straight allowed Nico de Boinville just to keep his mount focused for an impressive six-and-a-half-length success over two miles and five furlongs.

The 11-4 scorer was a winner over fences at Auteuil in March, and Henderson said: “The whole plan was to go novice hurdling this season and then to come back chasing not as a novice.

“But the way he is doing that, would you really want to go back to novice hurdling? You may as well get on and do what he’s good at – and that’s jumping.

“He went a bit left a few times, but you wouldn’t be worried about that. At Ascot, you will always see them just wander that way, it’s a natural trait.

“We schooled him Tuesday to see if this is something we could do and he was so good. I wouldn’t bring too many four-year-olds here to jump those fences.

“That’s probably the handicap mark gone out the window as well, so that (route) is not an option. He’s five at Christmas, so he loses that four-year-old slight advantage.

“It’s very French and they have already run over fences as a three and four-year-old – and this is Mr Henderson trying to parler francaise.”

There was heartbreak for followers of Harper’s Brook when he threw away victory in the Howden Handicap Chase by faltering close home, allowing Triple Trade to claim a dramatic triumph.

Kielan Woods set a fast pace on Harper’s Brook, who ran his rivals ragged and jumped superbly throughout, with a big leap at the last fence looking sure to have sealed it.

However, he stopped to a near-walk on the run-in and Triple Trade swooped in the dying strides under Brendan Powell to oblige by half a length at 9-4.

Winning trainer Joe Tizzard said: “He hasn’t actually had his ground this season because he wants soft ground, but he’s winning anyway and had he not missed four out, which he missed badly, he would have been able to travel a bit longer, because when he hits the front, he doesn’t do a great deal.

“I would have taken second jumping the last and then the horse in front tied up. Brendan said he felt like he was treading water going to the last and then the horse got competitive again when he was closing in (on Harper’s Brook).

“He was a cheap horse and the owners are very good boys and we’re having a lot of fun with him. This time last year, we pulled up at Wincanton on Boxing Day and we were struggling to be honest, and then we won a couple at the end of the season and now look where we are.

“I said to the lads having lunch before, you’ll get used to these nice days and that’s where he’s taking them. He’s one of those horses who will take them to these lovely big days and he’s winning still at the moment, so quite where we end up I don’t know.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does and play our way, but we will take him to one of the festivals because the guys who own him deserve to have a runner there.

“The horse is probably putting himself in that picture, without getting too carried away. I’m not saying he’s going to go and win at a festival but he deserves to go and have that day out because he’s won four times in the last six or seven months.”

Top Cloud kept on gamely under Liam Harrison to get the better of Scamallach Liath in another thrilling finish to the Ascot Racecourse Supports Schools Photography Competition Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Market leader Scamallach Liath made a brave attempt to make all under top weight over just short of three miles but was pipped at the post by Robbie Llewellyn’s 11-2 scorer.

The six-year-old has now won four out of five since joining Llewellyn from Chris Grant after being snapped up for only £8,000 by his new connections in May.

“It’s magical and we want to be competitive on the big days,” said Wroughton handler Llewellyn after his charge had prevailed by a head.

“I haven’t got a lot of money to spend and I think our most expensive horse is £12,000. This time last year, we had one winner, but we’ve got a better team of horses and it’s paying off.

“We’re in a new yard just below Alan King’s, it’s brilliant and I think that’s our 12th winner now from about 50 runners, so I’m over the moon.

“This lad has a brilliant attitude and is as hard as nails, I don’t think he is a world beater but what he will do is go through the pain barrier for you and just puts his head down and grinds it out – he does it the hard way.

“He thinks he is faster than he actually is, but he has a great attitude and hardly leaves a nut, so you can go to war more times with him.

“You can have the best work horse and best rating, but if they don’t want to go through with it, they don’t win races – and his attitude has won him four races now.”

Famous Bridge continued his ascent up the staying ladder with a determined victory in an attritional renewal of the Betfred Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase at Haydock.

Although a dual winner over hurdles, the Nicky Richards-trained seven-year-old always looked the type to do better over the larger obstacles and he won three of his first six chase starts.

Fresh from a course-and-distance success four weeks ago, Famous Bridge – sporting the famous silks of the late Trevor Hemmings – was the 5-2 favourite to add to his tally and stuck to his guns admirably in the testing conditions to emerge victorious.

Burrows Diamond had built up a clear lead by the time he rounded the bend into the the home straight and soon had the majority of his chasing rivals in trouble, with only Famous Bridge and Credo able to stay in the fight from the third-last fence.

Burrows Diamond did not bend in front, but Famous Bridge slowly ate into his advantage and he was a length to the good at the line.

Richards said: “He crept away and did it grand. Sean (Quinlan, jockey) thought he was going to win from the second-last. I don’t know if we would want to run him on that ground too many times as it is fairly gruelling.

“He is a youngish horse for a chasing horse and I think he is on the up, but you don’t want to keep putting the gun to their head on that ground.

“He is a young horse, and he has not had a lot of mileage. He is improving and I want to keep seeing improvement as the handicapper is going to make sure we need to improve.

“We know he is going to come (through near the end) as he likes to get in a battle and he is the type of horse that is hard to beat when he gets in one.”

Famous Bridge was given a quote of 25-1 for the Grand National by William Hill, but the Greystoke handler has other targets on his mind away from Aintree.

He added: “He won’t go up enough in the weights for the National this time. We’ve got thoughts. I don’t think we want to go extreme distances on gruelling ground yet.

“He has won two nice races now and something like the Grimthorpe we could go for. Mick (Meagher, racing manager to Hemmings Racing) would love to come back here for the Peter Marsh, but I don’t know if he wants to be on that ground all the time.”

Pawapuri successfully stepped up to Listed class with a decisive victory in the Betfred Hat-Trick Heaven Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.

A dual winner on the Flat for William Haggas, the four-year-old was highly tried by Nicky Henderson on her first two starts over obstacles, running in Grade Two and Grade One company last season.

Having made the most of having her sights lowered on her reappearance in a maiden at Wincanton last month, the daughter of Golden Horn was back up in class in Lancashire and stuck her task well in the testing conditions to repel the challenge of Lunar Discovery by two lengths under James Bowen.

“She jumped well. She missed a couple on the way round when I forced her, but she stayed on well,” said the winning rider.

“It was her first time over two miles three (furlongs) and in the back of my head going down to the last I thought we’ve got another 300 yards left, but she finished well in the end.

“She is a big mare and it wasn’t really the right time for her last season. She has got her black type now, so they can have fun.”

Bowen is looking forward to returning to Merseyside on Boxing Day, having been booked to partner Henderson’s Jango Baie in the Grade One William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

He added: “Hopefully it will be a big day – I’ve never had a Grade One winner and this will be one of the best chances I’ve ridden in a Grade One.

“Jango Baie is a sharp horse and is a proper two-miler at the moment. He is a nice horse.”

Pawapuri’s stablemate Issuing Authority had earlier belatedly opened his account over obstacles in the Betfred TV Beginners’ Chase.

Just three runners went to post for the extended two-mile contest, and Doyen Star was pulled up after never really threatening to land a telling blow.

Having tracked the pacesetting 11-10 favourite Inedit Star for much of the way, Issuing Authority – placed in each of his four races over hurdles without success – asserted in the home straight and passed the post 15 lengths clear.

“It is hard work out there as it is as deep as you can get. I barely got over the last (fence) to be honest with you,” said Bowen.

“I knew he would have come on for his last run. He jumped really well that day and we stepped him back down to an extended two miles today on this ground. I think that suited him as he is a strong traveller and a good jumper.

“Hopefully he can keep progressing now.”

Following successive wins at Sedgefield, Andrew Hamilton’s El Jefe (15-2) completed his hat-trick in the Betfred Nifty 50 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Conor Rabbitt.

Hamilton said: “Last year we won the Last Fling (Handicap Chase) with All About Joe, but we lost him in the summer. It is nice to come back to Haydock and get another good winner.

“Last season he never lifted the bridle at all, and I could not find the bottom of it. He has come back this season looking like a new horse. He loves life and that was fantastic.”

William Haggas has won many of racing’s biggest prizes, but there is one triumph he will treasure forever after Desert Hero became the King and Queen’s first Royal Ascot champion on an afternoon that will go down in history.

Only a year after his charge Baaeed embarked on a brilliant journey to superstar status, the Somerville Lodge handler could have helped secure racing’s future by ensuring royal success at the meeting many hold most dear.

Throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, racing could sit back and bask in the comfort of knowing the royal family had its back. Royal Ascot was always the first event entered on the late Queen’s calendar and that in turn ensured the summer showpiece remained at the top of public consciousness.

However, her death marked a time of uncertainty for the sport, as rumours of the royal string being disbanded and the new King failing to share his mother’s love and enthusiasm for racing circulated.

It was essential that racing put on a show for its newest patrons and that is exactly what Desert Hero did as the ice-cool Tom Marquand threaded the eye of a needle to deliver a thrilling victory, to the delight of a jubilant King and Queen watching on from the royal box.

“It was a tremendous day for obviously lots of reasons, not least us having a winner at Royal Ascot, which is always a lot harder than it sounds,” explained Haggas.

“We made history a couple of times this year, but that was one of the good ones.

“This was very special for us personally, and for everyone involved with the horse in the yard. To win on such a big stage like Royal Ascot for the King and Queen was just fantastic.”

He went on: “We’ve been so used to the ruling monarch being a passionate supporter and follower of racing and when Queen Elizabeth II passed away, there was a seed of doubt that His Royal Highness wouldn’t be as involved as her.

“From what we can see, he is every bit as enthusiastic and obviously there has been a bit of trimming, but I can’t tell you the joy it appeared to give both of them, certainly after the race and the excitement beforehand, it was great.”

To many, Desert Hero’s success came somewhat as a shock. He was fairly unheralded, having finished out of the money in his only previous start at three, and the son of Sea The Stars was among the outsiders at 18-1 for the King George V Stakes handicap.

However, Haggas was always confident the best of Desert Hero had not yet been seen and, with a real urge amongst the royal trainers to be the one to provide a first Ascot triumph for the newly-crowned King, this race was always a central part of the Newmarket handler’s masterplan.

Haggas said: “He didn’t appear to be that fancied by the pundits, but we thought he would come on for his first run in the London Gold Cup and I suppose he was trying this trip for the first time.

“I’m not that clever, but that was always the race. All of us, all of the trainers and John Warren, were all keen to have as many runners with a chance for the King and Queen at Ascot, because they were going to be there for five days.

“So, it was an obvious target from quite a way out.”

Even the best-laid plans often need a stroke of luck to pay off and Desert Hero needed plenty when handed a nightmare starting position in stall 21.

From there, Marquand had no option but to sit tight and take his medicine, but fortune favoured the brave when, rounding the turn for home, the pacesetters turned into stragglers and the expert pilot was able to weave his way to the front with the winning post fast approaching.

A photo finish was called to add nerves to the excitement, before the grandstands erupted when horse number five was announced the victor.

“I actually think in the race itself, they went so fast and he was drawn so wide – he was drawn 21 of 20 if you can believe that – that Tom had no option just to give him a chance and you can only win doing that if they go a proper gallop,” explained Haggas.

“All the leaders fell apart between the two-furlong marker and the furlong marker and he stayed on with a few others and fortunately it was his head that was in front on the line.

“They were fading and coming back on top of him and he needed a bit of luck and he got it and it was great.”

That result was only the beginning of the Desert Hero story, as the colt marched on to Goodwood to land the Gordon Stakes and tee-up a shot at the final Classic of the season, the St Leger.

It was at Doncaster the royal silks were last carried to success in one of racing’s crown jewels by Dunfermline in 1976, and the momentum built up from both Desert Hero’s Ascot and Goodwood triumphs ensured there was a real sense of anticipation heading to the final Classic of the season.

With both the King and Queen in attendance, it was a day racing could look back on with pride and although Desert Hero could only muster a gallant third behind an imperious Continuous, there was a feeling that the unbreakable bond between monarch and the Sport of Kings had been firmly secured once more.

“He won nicely at Goodwood and unfortunately neither the King or Queen could be there,” continued Haggas.

“However, they did indicate a while out there was a chance they might go to Doncaster and I thought it was fantastic for racing that they went. While the horse didn’t win, I thought he ran with great credit.”

In the immediate aftermath of that Town Moor third, a tilt at the Melbourne Cup was mooted.

However, with that tentative idea failing to reach fruition, attentions now turn to 2024, when a return to the Royal meeting in quest of another historic victory appears top of Haggas’ wishlist.

“The obvious target for him in the early part of the season is the Hardwicke,” he added.

“We have just got to decide whether we take him to Australia, it has not been discussed and I think everyone is just waiting for us to indicate the horse is in good shape or ready to do it, and then a decision will be made which is out of our hands.

“If he doesn’t go to Australia, he will be prepared for the Hardwicke, with one or two races beforehand, I suspect.

“It is a very special week and it is helped if the ruling monarch is present every day, which he was this year. It is a week where everyone wants to be involved, not just the King and Queen.”

The Philadelphia 76ers will monitor Joel Embiid after the reigning NBA MVP suffered an ankle injury in Friday's 121-111 win over the Toronto Raptors, says head coach Nick Nurse.

Embiid finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Sixers improved to 20-8 with their eighth win in the space of nine games, his 13th straight outing with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

That is the longest such run in the league since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar achieved the feat in 16 successive games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971-72, with Elgin Baylor (15 in 1961-62) and Wilt Chamberlain (13 on six occasions) the only other players to do so in at least 13 straight.

All of Embiid's points were scored after he landed awkwardly on his left ankle while trying to block a shot with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. 

With a four-game road stretch awaiting Philadelphia next week, starting against the Miami Heat on Christmas Day, Nurse says the team will keep a close eye on Embiid's condition. 

"Obviously, he stayed in the game and it didn't change his rotation at all," Nurse said of the injury. "But he played through it and I'm pretty sure he'll be sore tomorrow. 

"We'll have to monitor it over the next couple of days before we get on the plane to Miami."

Asked about the extent of the injury immediately after the win, Embiid said: "I don't know. I'll get it checked out. We'll see."

Embiid has now reached the 30-point mark in each of his last 14 games, the most in a row in the NBA since James Harden did so in 32 successive contests in 2018-19.

The six-time All-Star said staying calm and not forcing things after a slow start was the key to his performance, adding: "I saw that I wasn't being aggressive.

"I didn't force anything. I think I took two shots in the first six or seven minutes, but I just let the game come to me.

"It came to me and then in the third quarter, I just found opportunities and made a few shots."

Otto Wallin believes Anthony Joshua is going through a "decline" and fancies his chances of dealing the Brit a fourth career defeat on Saturday.

Wallin will face Joshua in the main event of a stacked card billed as 'Day of Reckoning' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after Deontay Wilder takes on Joseph Parker.

Joshua is reportedly close to agreeing to face Wilder twice in 2024, though a surprise defeat to Wallin would surely deal a fatal blow to those plans.

Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 before failing to recapture them in a rematch last year, though he has since responded with wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Though Wallin is still wary of the threat Joshua poses, the Swede senses an opportunity to add to his opponent's woes.

"I think that he's still one of the best fighters out there and he's done really well in his career and he deserves respect," Wallin told Stats Perform.

"Losing to Usyk and [Andy] Ruiz, there's no shame in that, they're very good fighters. But I think there's been a decline in his game, he hasn't really been the same lately. 

"But losing against those guys, anybody can. I think the timing of this fight is in my advantage. I have really good momentum and I don't know if he's in the same place."

Asked if he was confident of a surprise victory, Wallin said: "I am. I feel very good. I've done everything I can. 

"I remember my dad, he always used to tell me that once you step in the ring, you've got to know that you've done everything you possibly can to be as prepared as possible.

"I kept that with me over the years and I always try to prepare to the best of my ability. If I'm not ready now, I'm never going to be ready.

"I'm ready to go in there, have fun, I feel like I have no pressure. He has all the pressure and I can just go in and have fun and just beat him.

"We found out about this fight about seven weeks before December 23rd. We didn't have too much time. I think we had enough time because I was already in very good shape. 

"I had just had a win over [Murat] Gassiev on September 30th, I had a week off and then I was back training. I was in a really good place when we got the call so I was happy about that.

"Training has just been going really well. I think me already being in shape from the last fight and then also having the extra motivation for this fight made it all so much better and I feel like I'm in great shape, probably the best shape of my life."

Wallin has won his last six fights since losing to Tyson Fury via a unanimous decision in 2019, but the 33-year-old knows claiming the scalp of Joshua would be his biggest victory to date.

"It would be amazing. It's a big thing for me and a big thing for Sweden," he said.

"I get a lot of support over there. I think it would be amazing for me, my family, my team. So we are really excited about this opportunity."

Joseph Parker believes he can take advantage of any rustiness on Deontay Wilder's part when the fighters meet on Saturday, expressing confidence in his chances of a shock win.

Former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder will face Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with Anthony Joshua also fighting on the same bill as he takes on Otto Wallin.

Saturday's bout will be Wilder's first since a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in October 2022, while Parker has already fought three times this year, overcoming Jack Massey, Faiga Opelu and Simon Kean.

Wilder is reportedly close to agreeing a two-fight deal with Joshua for 2024, but Parker is confident he can deal a fatal blow to his hopes of facing the Brit on Saturday.  

"When I beat him, then we're going to have a great 2024. When I beat him, I'm going to be celebrating on the flight back home," Parker told Stats Perform.

"I've had the best preparation for this fight. Like I said before, I started off in Ireland where we have a great setup. We've got a nice gym that we use, a great house that we stay in. 

"We've got local shops that we go to, butchers that look after us, and we've got the sea right next to us that we jump in every day.

"Then we finished off in England and now we're here in Saudi Arabia. There's nothing more that I could have done to prepare for this fight. I am primed and ready."

With 14 months having passed since Wilder last stepped into the ring, Parker believes the American could struggle to acclimatise on his return to action.

Parker previously spent close to a year out of the ring before losing to Joe Joyce last September, and he says that absence impacted his performance.

"I feel like being out of the ring for a long time can definitely have an impact on performance, but we will soon find out if it's going to have an impact on him or not," he added.

"It did affect me. That's why this year has been a great year, keeping busy, having three fights already and having this fight as my fourth fight. It's going to be a great night for team Parker.

"I feel great. I feel like I've restarted my career but I have all the experience to help me with this new start and constantly learning off Andy [Lee]. Everything is perfect. It's now it's all up to myself to put it all on display on fight night, put it all together."

Former WBO middleweight champion Lee has been preparing Parker for the fight, having also been part of Tyson Fury's team as the Gypsy King overcame Wilder twice in 2020 and 2021.

Asked about the importance of Lee, Parker said: "Andy Lee as my trainer has got all the experience to pass on, being a fighter himself and a champion himself, and he was at the fights when Tyson was fighting Deontay.

"I was there for all three fights myself, it was good to see it in person. It's great to get a bit of advice off Tyson. 

"But ultimately I'm going to be in the ring putting on best performance and I'm going to take care of business myself."

Ante-post favourite Allaho heads a field of six for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Willie Mullins’ runner has won eight of his 13 chase starts to date, including two wide-margin Ryanair Chase verdicts and a similarly impressive Punchestown Gold Cup win in 2022.

He made a satisfactory return to action after a 561-day absence at Clonmel last month and is short price for the Christmas highlight.

Last year’s victor Bravemansgame returns to defend his title for Paul Nicholls, although his campaign has not gone to plan so far this term with the eight-year-old having suffered odds-on defeats in both the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Frodon, winner of the race in 2020, gives Nicholls a second string to his bow, with regular partner Bryony Frost taking the ride.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin is also on something of a redemption mission as he makes his seasonal bow. He refused to start at Ascot last month while a planned Fighting Fifth Hurdle prep was scuppered by testing ground at Sandown.

The Real Whacker, winner of the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham last term, and Shark Hanlon’s Hewick complete the line up, with Gerri Colombe and Royale Pagaille absentees as expected.

Constitution Hill is the headline act in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle, which also has six contenders.

Henderson’s two-mile champion is long odds-on to extend his unbeaten run over obstacles, with the Nicholls-trained Rubaud the next best on ratings, albeit some 26lb behind.

The favourite will be joined by stablemate First Street, with Kerry Lee potentially double-handed with Black Poppy and Nemean Lion. Alan King’s Sceau Royal is the other runner.

Il Est Francais represents France in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.

Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, Il Est Francais has been a dominant force at home and has five rivals at Kempton, led by Nicholls’ Hermes Allen.

Giovinco, Kilbeg King, Marble Sands and Tightenourbelts also line up, with no Irish representation after Mullins and Gordon Elliott did not declare Grangeclare West, Klassical Dream or Imagine respectively.

Patrick Kane scored twice in Detroit’s five-goal first period and had the clinching shootout tally as the Red Wings squandered a four-goal lead before pulling out a wild 7-6 victory Friday over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Kane scored the game’s first two goals and Daniel Sprong, J.T. Compher and Shayne Gostisbehere also tallied to give the Red Wings a 5-1 lead after one period.

The Flyers, though, scored twice in the second period before Garnet Hathaway, Scott Laughton and Owen Tippett netted third-period goals for a 6-5 lead. Dylan Larkin’s bad-angle goal came just 37 seconds after Tippett’s and made it 6-6.

 Detroit snapped a four-game skid while Philadelphia moved to 7-1-2 in its last 10 games.

Niederreiter, Hellebuyck keep Jets surging

Nino Niederreiter had two goals and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck carried a shutout late into the third period in the Winnipeg Jets’ 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins.

Josh Morrissey, Gabriel Vilardi and Adam Lowry also scored for the Jets, who moved back atop the Central Division with their eighth win in 10 games (8-1-1).

Vilardi has goals in five straight games with six goals and six assists during that span. 

Hellebuyck kept the Bruins scoreless until Brandon Carlo’s goal with 5:38 remaining. He is 6-0-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average in his past seven starts.

Boston is winless in three straight games (0-1-2).

Oilers score 4 in 3rd period to beat Rangers

Zach Hyman triggered a four-goal outburst in the third period and the visiting Edmonton Oilers held on for a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers.

Blake Wheeler’s first-period goal stood up until Hyman scored the equaliser at 3:07 of the third. Evander Kane tallied 70 seconds later, and Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod added goals to put the Oilers up 4-1.

Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuyle scored late goals for the Rangers, who are 4-4-0 in their last eight games but still lead the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

Raymond van Barneveld rolled back the years to reach the third round of the PDC World Darts Championship with a 3-1 victory over Radek Szaganski.

The 56-year-old Dutchman – a five-time world champion – booked his post-Christmas place at Alexandra Palace and may fancy his chances of going further in the tournament with Peter Wright and James Wade eliminated from his section of the draw.

Van Barneveld next plays Welshman Jim Williams, the conqueror of two-time world champion Wright, and could meet teenage sensation Luke Littler in the last 16.

“Of course I look at it (the draw) but it gives you more pressure, right?” Van Barneveld told Sky Sports after averaging 99.81 and resisting a strong Szaganski recovery after the Pole had lost the opening two sets.

“Peter Wright has gone, James Wade has gone, but, hey, there’s a little guy named Luke Littler. Come on, he’s fantastic.

“I had a bad start. When I was practising backstage I never missed a treble. I’m thinking ‘all right’, but my finishing was really good and I’m really happy with this game.

“But it’s still not my A game and I can do a lot better.”

Chris Dobey, the current Masters champion, beat William O’Connor 3-2 in a match of high scoring and high quality.

The pair produced 17 180s – 10 for Dobey and seven for O’Connor – as the game swung one way and then the other into a final set.

Dobey, who this week celebrated the birth of his son Chester, held his nerve to win the decider 3-1 and finished with a match average of 103.09, his best at Alexandra Palace.

Florian Hempel ended Dimitri van den Bergh’s tournament hopes for the second time in three years.

Van den Bergh, the number 15 seed and World Championship semi-finalist 12 months ago, raced into a two-set lead after losing the first two legs of the match.

But Hempel stormed back to win 3-2 and will play Stephen Bunting or Ryan Joyce in round three.

Hempel’s fellow German Martin Schindler overcame Jermaine Wattimena 3-1.

Schindler dominated most of the match but Wattimena had the consolation of a 170 checkout in the third set.

Anthony Joshua insists he remains focused on securing victory on Saturday night and will not be distracted by thoughts of future fights when he goes up against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia.

The 34-year-old is aiming to make it three wins from three in 2023, having already beaten Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before sealing a seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius in August to earn a 26th professional career victory.

Saturday’s bout in Riyadh is a key clash for the former two-time world heavyweight champion, who has ambitions of returning to the top of the heavyweight division, and he weighed in at 17st 13lbs, nearly 13lbs heavier than his opponent.

Joshua said: “Without Saturday night there is no future. Saturday night I’ve been saying all week is my main focus. Whatever happens in the ring, I know that’s where my heart is. I need to get this win.

“If my prayers are answered, I’ll get the win.

“I’ve been focused, praying hard and, whatever God wants from me, I’m going to follow that path. I’m making sure it’s not just prayer, I’m following up by action as well.”

Amid talk of a proposed fight against Deontay Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the same bill, Joshua says he is focused on securing success on Saturday night before considering his next move.

He said: “I’m a serious fighter, I’m a serious businessman, I’ve got a great team behind me and they’re handling business. As I always say, let me focus on what I’ve got to focus on.”

Joshua has recorded three career losses so far – beaten by Andy Ruiz in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk defeated him twice – while the Swedish southpaw has only one career loss to date against Tyson Fury and claims there will be a “new king” on Saturday.

Wallin said: “I’m a small fighter. I’m a southpaw. I’ve trained for this moment for a very long time so I’m very much ready for it.

“I know tomorrow there’s going to be a new king and he’s from Sweden.”

Wilder and Parker will also go head to head in Riyadh.

Wilder comes into the bout at a lean 15st 3lbs compared to Parker’s 17st 7lbs and the heavy hitter, who has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by knockout, believes Parker have “never felt the power” he possesses.

“I’m just this calm and collected,” Wilder said.

“I’ve been here many times before and I’ve fought his style before. He’s never fought a style like mine. He’s never felt the power that I bring and possess.”

Parker vowed to “be aggressive” ahead of their meeting.

He said: “We’re here, we’re ready and I can’t wait.

“I’m going to be aggressive, go in there, execute the plan, follow the strategies and get the win.”