The redoubtable Hamish bagged his sixth win at Group Three level in the l’Ormarins King’s Plate Glorious Stakes at Goodwood.
The lightly-raced seven-year-old had won eight of his 16 previous starts in all, most recently pipping Scriptwriter to success in the John Smith’s Silver Cup at York three weeks ago.
Trainer William Haggas declared Hamish for a stellar renewal of the King George at Ascot last weekend, but fast ground scuppered his participation and he instead arrived at Goodwood as a 5-6 favourite in the hands of Tom Marquand.
Ridden patiently in midfield for much of the mile-and-a-half-contest, the son of Motivator – who is owned by the trainer’s father, Brian – burst into it late before powering to a four-length verdict over Jack Darcy, with the winner’s stablemate, Candleford, best of the rest in third.
Haggas said: “The horse has been an absolute nightmare today to saddle. Poor Maureen (wife) has been jumped on about eight times, she’s got blood coming out of the top of her head because the horse struck her, but she adores this horse and she does everything with him. I’m taking no credit myself, the credit and the praise should go to her.
“I rang my father, who is a very proud Yorkshireman, and said ‘he’s been a bloody nightmare today, when he’s like this he never runs his best’, and he said ‘I think he’s like the north!’.
“He’s quite good at York, the horse, so he’s probably right.”
He went on: “I didn’t think this was a strong race for the grade and he was always travelling well. Tom said after the race this was the best the horse has felt this year. He scrambled home a bit at York last time, and while he likes a bit of cut in the ground he likes it wet.
“He won and poor Candleford was cantering, but got lost in the ground – it’s too tacky for him. He wants top of the ground. Candleford ran a good race, but Hamish was better.
“He won’t run in the Ebor. He’s hard to place, and while people said I should have run him in the King George I couldn’t do that on drying ground. You can run in a race like this on drying ground, but the King George is a different thing. My father quickly pointed out he has only run against one of this year’s King George horses, and that was Hukum and he beat him (in the September Stakes at Kempton in 2021)! He was lambasting me for not running.
“The Irish St Leger is a possibility, but he wants soft ground. We’ve been lucky this summer – ha, ha, what summer? – that we’ve had some soft ground. He’s run twice in a fortnight, while last year we couldn’t get anything out of him at all.”
Hamish was making it a good two days for the Haggas team, after the King and Queen’s Desert Hero booked his St Leger ticket with victory on Thursday.
Confirming Doncaster for the world’s oldest Classic as the plan, Haggas said: “He’s in the Voltigeur, but doesn’t need to run there, so all being well he will go straight to the Leger. I think we ought to try it because there’s plenty of stamina on the dam’s side and he’s by Sea The Stars, a very versatile stallion.
“He has a chance of getting the trip. Gregory will be hard to beat, but we will give it a go.”
Highfield Princess belatedly opened her account for the campaign with a runaway victory in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood.
John Quinn’s superstar mare won three times at Group One level last term, landing the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, the Nunthorpe at York and the Flying Five at the Curragh.
She had to make do with minor honours in her first three outings of this season, but having placed in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June she was the 4-9 favourite to get back on the winning trail.
Those who took the cramped odds about the six-year-old will have had few concerns for the duration of the five-furlong contest, with Highfield Princess initially taking a lead Czech raider Ponntos before bursting to the lead.
White Lavender came from out of the pack and just briefly threatened to make a race of it, but Highfield Princess found another gear in the last half-furlong under her regular partner Jason Hart and had three lengths in hand at the line.
Paddy Power make the winner their 2-1 favourite from 11-4 to successfully defend her Nunthorpe crown at York on August 25.
Epictetus inflicted a shock defeat on the much-vaunted Nostrum to land the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.
Winner of his first two juvenile starts before finishing third in the Dewhurst, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum was considered a legitimate Classic contender at the start of the year before injury ruled him out of the first half of the season.
Having made a dominant comeback in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month, there was talk of a tilt at Group One glory in the Sussex Stakes, but connections instead elected to take another step forward in this Group Three contest.
For much of the one-mile journey the race appeared to be going according to script, with Ryan Moore adopting the same pacesetting tactics which worked so impressively at Newmarket three weeks ago aboard the 4-6 market leader – but it was a clear with a furlong to run he had a race on his hands.
Having sat in Nostrum’s slipstream throughout, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus produced the better finishing kick of the pair and passed the post with a length in hand under Frankie Dettori.
Of the vanquished favourite, Stoute’s assistant James Savage said: “Ryan thought he had the horse in the perfect place and that the race was for us, but in the last 100 yards he said it was like having a puncture.
“We always thought he would handle cut in the ground, but it found him out in the final 100 yards.
“He’s never not hit the line and we felt he just didn’t hit the line today. We’ll give him a good check over and regroup.
“All of our horses are trained to hit their heights at a certain time, and this horse – for sure he’s a very good horse this year, but he will be an even better horse next year.”
Epictetus, trained by John and Thady Gosden, was a 6-1 shot to notch a first win since making a successful reappearance at Epsom in April, having since failed to trouble the judge in the Dante, the French Derby or the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Dropping back to a mile for the first time this season Epictetus looked the real deal, much to the delight of his connections.
“The horse has shown plenty of speed over a mile and two (furlongs), we thought he’d progress to a mile and a quarter this year,” said Thady Gosden.
“Obviously it hasn’t necessarily panned out, he’s run good races without getting his head in front but dropping him down in trip today on ground he’s enjoyed has suited him well.
“It was a perfect ride. He broke well, sat where he was happy on the fence and it panned out, he followed Ryan and it was a Houdini move to get out of there with a furlong to go. Being Frankie, he obviously managed to do it!
“Obviously there is a mile race back here, the Celebration Mile, which fits in well.”
Dettori added: “We tried three times over a mile and two furlongs and we always had an excuse – the ground, the competition in the Jockey Club, and we thought maybe George (Strawbridge, owner) was right when he said, ‘Maybe you guys are running this horse too long!’
“John and Thady found this race over a mile and the favourite looked very hard to beat, I had a good passage and he passed the horse and was not stopping, I give him full credit
“He is ready to go up in grade – the Celebration Mile in three weeks springs to mind and then there are lots of races in the autumn – at Newmarket, maybe over Arc weekend. He has beat a decent field today in style and we can go back and make big plans.
“As he handles some ease in the ground, we can look to the autumn.”
Annabelle Hadden-Wight produced a composed performance to land the Markel Magnolia Cup aboard Scott Dixon’s Fosroc.
The 22-year-old, who is a work rider and racing secretary to trainer Jack Jones, partnered the seven-year-old gelding known under rules as Ebury.
The partnership got off to a good start over the five-and-a-half-furlong trip and travelled near the head of the field, pulling away two furlongs from home and holding on to narrowly finish ahead of the closing rival Eliza McCalmont.
“It has not really sunk in, it was so much fun, I want to do it all over again! I have only ridden the horse once and I didn’t know what to expect,” said Hadden-Wight.
“He jumped really well, we got a good start, and I was in front most of the way, and I had two each side and I decided that I was not going to let them come past.
“My legs were good, but I did jump off and my knees buckled. I am pretty tired now!
“It has been an amazing experience, a lot of cameras, but the whole thing has been really well organised and we have been very well looked after.”
The victory had a special poignancy for Hadden-Wight, who at one point thought she would never walk again, let alone ride, after falling ill with meningitis when she was 18.
“Four years ago I was in the Philippines and I got really ill on my 18th birthday on just the second day we were there,” she explained.
“I ended up spending months and months out there – I had meningitis with lots of complications and my legs weren’t working, I was in a wheelchair. They said I may never walk or ride again.
“After making a full recovery, I like to take every opportunity, it really changed my outlook on life. It was for the best, but at the time pretty scary.
“It is so nice to have my friends and family here, some I have not seen for ages.
“Mum is here, she is not horsey at all and has found the whole thing terrifying!”
Free Wind looks to put defeat at Royal Ascot behind her in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday.
A winner at Group Three and Group Two level in 2021, the daughter of Galileo made just one competitive appearance last season, claiming another Group Two prize in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.
She made a successful comeback in the Middleton at York in May and having seen the runner-up Rogue Millennium go one better in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Free Wind was a hot favourite to claim a Royal Ascot success of her own in the Hardwicke.
Supporters of John and Thady Gosden’s mare were ultimately left counting their losses, with the five-year-old beaten three lengths into fifth place by the popular winner Pyledriver – but hopes are high that she can get back her head back on track with plenty in her favour.
Thady Gosden said: “She won the Middleton over a trip below her optimum on her first run of the year and then she found the ground a little too fast for her by the Saturday of Ascot.
“Obviously we’ve had rain at Goodwood this week and there’s more forecast. Hopefully it doesn’t get too deep, but she seems to be in good form.
“She has course form and we’re looking forward to running her.”
Connections of Time Lock began the year with high hopes after the Frankel filly pushed fellow high-class Juddmonte-owned filly Haskoy close in the Galtres Stakes at York last summer.
She kicked off her campaign with a runner-up finish to Luisa Casati in a Listed race at Goodwood and has since finished fourth in both the Pinnacle Stakes and the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.
Having expected the prevailing quick ground on Merseyside to suit the four-year-old, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon is now looking forward to seeing her return to an easier surface.
“She’s in good form and we think a mile and six (furlongs) will bring out a bit more improvement in her,” he said.
“It’s similar opposition to what she’s met so far, apart from Free Wind.
“I think we’ve got her wrong ground-wise. Last year one of her most impressive performances was on quick ground at Newmarket and she looked to skip off it, but Ryan (Moore) felt she really didn’t like it at Haydock.
“Looking at her we always thought she wanted soft ground, but that performance at Newmarket had us thinking we were wrong.
“Over a mile and six with a bit of cut in the ground, I’m not saying she’ll win, but I think she’ll be competitive.”
Luisa Casati beat Time Lock at Goodwood in the spring, but finished a length behind her when fifth in last month’s Lancashire Oaks.
Her trainer Tom Ward also expects a return to softer ground to yield an improved performance.
“She’s in good shape and I thought she ran well the other day at Haydock, although she got back in a slowly-run race on slightly quicker ground than ideal,” he said.
“A step up in trip and slower ground should really suit her, so she’s going there with a nice chance on Saturday I hope.
“She likes the track, it’s not a big field and Richard (Kingscote) knows her well, so fingers crossed.”
River Of Stars is a leading contender for Ralph Beckett, having backed up a York success over Free Wind’s stablemate Mimikyu with a narrow defeat in a French Group Two three weeks ago.
Gosden second string Ghara, Roger Varian’s Peripatetic, Paul and Oliver Cole’s Sumo Sam and Divina Grace from Rae Guest’s yard complete the field.
Wales boss Warren Gatland has hailed Leigh Halfpenny as “the ultimate professional” ahead of him joining rugby union’s 100-cap club.
Halfpenny will reach three figures for Wales in Saturday’s opening World Cup warm-up game against England at the Principality Stadium.
Only eight other Wales players have clocked up a century of caps, with Halfpenny just the fifth back after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Dan Biggar.
He made his Wales debut as a teenager against South Africa 15 years ago, while he has had to overcome a number of injury setbacks that meant lengthy absences from the game.
“If you are talking about role models as a professional, you could not get a harder worker than Leigh Halfpenny in terms of how he prepares,” Gatland said.
“The analysis, training and recovery, he is the ultimate professional. He started his career on the wing and then has been brilliant as a positional 15.
“He is a tremendous goalkicker and is probably still the best defensive full-back in the world. It’s a great honour for him and I am delighted for him.”
Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas was still playing when Halfpenny first arrived on the international scene, and he added: “The big thing when he first came in was how relentless he was in putting the extra hours in on the training field – after everyone else had finished – around his kicking, his high-ball stuff and his contact work.
“The contact-skill side of the back-three is much more important now, but 15 years ago it wasn’t high on the job description for back-three players. Even back then he was putting a huge amount of work in around his high-ball stuff and all of that.
“He has been the ultimate Welshman, the ultimate team man. I’ve got three kids and if you want to give them any anecdotes of what to look for, what to be like, it’s Leigh Halfpenny.”
While Halfpenny will be centre of attention in front an anticipated 65,000 crowd, considerable interest also surrounds some new faces.
Gatland has handed out Test debuts to centre Max Llewellyn, plus Cardiff props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti as the World Cup countdown continues.
And there is also an opportunity for 22-year-old Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow, who won the first of his two caps last autumn, in a team led by first-time skipper Jac Morgan.
Gatland added: “He (Costelow) gets the ball through his hands really well and we’ve been impressed with his ability to the line when he becomes a running threat.
“He is brave and doesn’t take a backwards step defensively and he has spoken well when he presents to the group and shown some leadership skills.
“Max has impressed in training with the lines he is running. I’ve been really pleased with how he has started to step up and how vocal he has been.
“That is one of the big focus areas for this squad, how important your voice is, particularly under fatigue.
“I’ve seen a huge improvement in him and he has built some confidence. It’s not just the physical side, though. He is also a good passer of the ball and he can hopefully put us outside in space.”
Iain Henderson has backed Ireland and Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale to return to his devastating best as he bids to force his way into Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad.
Stockdale will make his first international appearance in more than two years in Saturday evening’s warm-up clash with Italy following a difficult period in his stalled Test career.
The 27-year-old wing was player of the championship when his seven tries helped Ireland clinch a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018 and first choice on the left flank under Joe Schmidt at the following year’s World Cup in Japan.
But, in part due to injuries, he has struggled to make an impact during the Farrell era and has work to do to ensure he is on the plane to France having slipped behind James Lowe and Mack Hansen in the pecking order.
Lock Henderson, who will captain his country against the Azzurri, believes Stockdale still possesses the attributes and quality to rediscover top form.
“Jacob’s an incredible athlete, you still see him in training doing phenomenal things,” he said.
“At that time (2018), our team was in a hot run of form and Jacob finished off a lot of very well-created tries from the whole team.
“He still has all of those athletic attributes, he still has the mindset and desire, he still has age on his side.
“For anyone who knows Jacob personally, he’s not one to give up in terms of any sort of argument or fight you get into with him.
“Knowing his personality, knowing what he has, I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t see another 2018 Jacob Stockdale coming out again. I think that’s exciting for him, exciting for everyone else.
“He knows himself he has to be patient and continue to work away. He won’t throw the head up and I know Jacob will plug away at it.”
Only five men – Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan – have scored more tries for Ireland than Stockdale.
Yet 14 of his 19 Test scores came in the first 17 of his 35 caps and he has become a peripheral figure in recent years, not helped by knee and ankle issues.
Henderson admits Stockdale has been frustrated by his international exile.
“After that ankle injury was the explosion of Mack Hansen, and James Lowe is obviously a phenomenal player too,” said the 31-year-old.
“The two wings are positions that are hotly-contested and there’s incredible depth, thankfully, in our country.
“Jacob fully understood that coming in last autumn, he knew he would have his work cut out, and again through the Six Nations both of those guys were in top form and injury-free.
“I know Jacob found it incredibly frustrating not being able to get an opportunity over the course of those two campaigns but he knew if he kept plugging away that he would eventually get one.
“He has trained incredibly well and he is rightly being rewarded.”
With Johnny Sexton suspended and James Ryan and Peter O’Mahony given the weekend off, Henderson will skipper Ireland for the second time.
The Aviva Stadium was empty due to coronavirus restrictions the last time he led out his country – a 15-13 Six Nations loss to France in 2021 – but around 42,000 fans are expected this weekend.
“Faz (Farrell) said I was going to be captain and I was over the moon,” said Henderson.
“This is going to be incredibly special for me to have my family at this.”
Ewan Ashman is aiming to stake his claim for a World Cup starting berth after being handed the number two jersey for Saturday’s warm-up match at home to France.
The 23-year-old – who will make just his second international start this weekend – is a notable inclusion in an otherwise established XV chosen by Gregor Townsend for the showdown with Les Bleus.
Ashman appears to be vying with the more experienced George Turner for a starting place, while Dave Cherry and Stuart McInally are the other two hookers battling to win a place in the final 33-man squad for the World Cup.
Head coach Townsend said earlier this week that the Canada-born Ashman – who moved to Edinburgh this summer from Sale – “has the attributes to start for us” and that he “absolutely” has a chance to play his way into a starting berth for the World Cup opener against South Africa in Marseille.
“The whole team is preparing for the World Cup but for individuals it’s about trying to put your best foot forward to get into that starting team,” Ashman said following the team run at Murrayfield on Friday.
“I’m just glad to have that opportunity because the competition is fierce for every position now with the depth we have. You have to view every game as an opportunity to try and get on that plane and into the team.
“I’m really excited. This is only my second start in a Scotland jersey and I’m really, really excited to get out there, especially at home.”
Ashman – whose father Jonathan is Scottish – scored a try on his debut as a substitute against Australia in autumn 2021 while he also came on against the might of New Zealand last November.
The hooker’s only start among his seven caps to date came against Argentina last summer, so this weekend’s match against France will be arguably his biggest for the national team so far. With his family in the crowd, he is determined to ensure his emotions do not get the better of him.
“It’s a big game but they’re all big games at Murrayfield,” he said. “My first start was over in Argentina which at the time felt like a big game but I’m a lot more experienced now.
“For me personally, it’s easy at Murrayfield to get quite emotional, like when you walk off the bus, and at the anthems, when the adrenalin is going and you’ve got butterflies in your stomach, so I try to play it down a bit more,” he said.
“I try not to treat games too differently. Obviously this is a big game but I try and play it down and relax and treat it as another game of rugby and perform my role for the team. I try not to get too up for it because that’s when I can make mistakes.”
Scotland play France away next weekend and Ashman believes back-to-back fixtures against the world’s second-highest ranked team will stand them in good stead for pool-stage matches against the heavyweights of South Africa and Ireland.
“Yeah, it’s perfect,” he said. “France are an all-star team. They’re going to be hugely physical and that should prepare us for Ireland and South Africa.
“They’re coming to Murrayfield and that gives us a real opportunity to set out our stall for the World Cup.
“It is going to be confrontational and physical. They pride themselves on their maul and they’re a huge team, just like South Africa, so it’s going to be a hugely challenging game. It’s the perfect opportunity to prepare for the World Cup.”
Charlie Hills has few qualms about either the ground or the draw for lightly-raced sprinter Orazio, who is a warm order for the ultra-competitive Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood on Saturday.
The four-year-old, who came home sixth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, is the sponsors’ favourite for the six-furlong cavalry charge.
Jockey Jim Crowley will ride the Caravaggio colt for the first time, as he bids for another big-race victory, following successes with Hukum in last weekend’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and Al Husn in the Nassau Stakes on Thursday.
Crowley partnered Khaadem to win the race in 2019 for Hills, who also landed the prize four years earlier with Magical Memory.
Drawn in stall six and proven on easy ground, Hills is confident of Orazio’s chance.
He said: “Orazio will like the ground, which was too firm at Ascot. He’s nicely drawn and though a short-priced favourite, the trip and ground should be perfect for him.”
The Lambourn handler also fields Tanmawwy, drawn in stall eight of the maximum 28-runner field.
The mount of Connor Planas, the five-year-old has won five of his 12 starts and bids to follow up a Windsor handicap success under a 6lb penalty.
Hills added: “Tanmawwy won nicely at Windsor and will like the ground. I think he’s entitled to go well and is no slouch. You can’t rule him out.”
Peter Charalambous, who owns and bred Apollo One, is happy enough with a draw near the stands rail in stall 27.
The five-year-old has won four and been placed on eight other occasions in 23 starts and has thrice gone close to picking up a big handicap prize this term, finishing runner-up on his last two, in the in the JRA Tokyo Trophy at Epsom and in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.
Charalambous, who holds a joint training licence with James Clutterbuck, said: “I’m happy with the draw. We’d probably like to have some rain on Saturday to loosen up the sticky ground.
“He ran well at Ascot, but probably just did a bit too much in front and could have done with a little bit of a lead, but he ran a great race.
“The ground is the only slight concern. I wouldn’t put anyone off having a bet and I wouldn’t tell anyone to have a bet!”
Badri, drawn in stall 18, beat Apollo One by a neck at Epsom and was runner-up over five furlongs at Ascot last month.
“It is one of those lottery races, unless you happen to have a Group horse lurking there – which obviously we don’t!” said trainer Ruth Carr.
“You never know. He’s in good form and has held his form well. Hopefully the ground will dry out a bit. It had dried out at Ascot from what it was given as (good to soft).
“That six furlongs should suit and we go there on the back of a good run. We’d be hopeful that he could sneak a bit of prize money.
“I don’t think going up in trip will be a problem. There’s a lot of downhill and we won over a stiff six at Newcastle, albeit off a lower mark.
“He’s been consistent – the sort of horse you dream about owning and training, and even better he’s taking us to the bigger meetings.
“At the beginning of this year we thought we had an all-weather horse, and we wouldn’t be thinking he’d be a Stewards’ Cup horse.”
Mr Wagyu is 5lb below his previous winning mark, having had 13 races since taking a valuable handicap at the Curragh last July.
Beaten under three lengths in the Wokingham, Jason Hart’s mount, who is drawn in stall 14, will be one who will handle softer conditions.
Trainer John Quinn said: “He’s had three very good runs and ran very well in the Wokingham, where he had a hard race. I ran him back too quick (at Thirsk) – it was my fault.
“He won the Stewards’ Cup consolation race a couple of years ago here on soft ground, so soft ground won’t bother him. He’s pretty consistent and he bolted up off 91 and he is 95 on Saturday – he has a squeak.”
Ed Walker is delighted Came From The Dark, drawn in stall 10, gets into the race at the foot of the handicap.
David Egan’s mount has been dropping down the handicap despite a string of decent efforts in defeat this term and the Newmarket handler feels he will be one sprinter who will benefit from the recent rain.
“He’ll love the ground,” said Walker. “Now he is getting a bit older, he needs that step back up to six (furlongs). I’m excited.
“He is a horse who has plenty of problems and to be honest, he is a horse who has not got many runs left in him.
“But if he can recapture some of his earlier form this year, I reckon he will go close, because he has been tumbling down the weights. I think he’ll run a big race, I really do.”
Makanah, a close-up seventh last year for Julie Camacho, is 4lb lower this time and her husband and assistant Steve Brown, feels he could figure in the finish again.
“He ran really well last year and with the benefit of hindsight Paul (Mulrennan) might have done one or two things differently, as we were prominent throughout. We just got caught close home,” said Brown.
“Soft ground should be fine, he’s won on soft ground. My main concern it looks like being a real ‘draw’ race, with a bias up the stands side.
“He is in really good form and we’ve had this in mind since Newcastle. He’s been trained for the day. We hope he runs well. We were really proud of him last year and off a lower mark, you’d like to think he’d be a little bit closer this year on ground he doesn’t mind.”
England are confident that Tom Curry will play a role in their build-up to the World Cup as he recovers from a twisted ankle.
Curry sustained the injury in training this week and will be sidelined for up to a fortnight, potentially ruling him out of the opening two matches of the Summer Nations Series which begins against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The Sale flanker is a certainty to be picked in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad when it is announced on Monday, but England will take no risks with the fitness of one of their most influential players.
“We’re very hopeful (he’ll play this month). We don’t think it will be too long, but we’ll be smart with him as well,” defence coach Kevin Sinfield said.
Any concern over Henry Arundell’s hamstring injury has lifted after the explosive wing made a return to full training on Thursday.
England play the first of two Tests against Wales at the Principality Stadium fielding a line-up populated with players who are on the fringe of World Cup selection.
Only Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith, Danny Care, Ellis Genge and Will Stuart are assured of their places in the 33-man squad, while the others are hoping to make a final impression on Borthwick.
Sinfield, however, has downplayed the trial element of the visit to Cardiff as England look to build winning momentum.
“First and foremost, it’s a Test match. I’m sure some players will have selection in the back of their minds, but we want to show how we’ve improved,” Sinfield said.
“It would be unfair to say it’s all on this game because it’s not. We’ve got to take into account the last eight weeks, how players have performed throughout the season and exactly what we need going forward.
“There are some wonderful players who will miss out, sadly, because we can’t take everybody. We’ll try to get to the right place with the right balance within the squad.”
One player who has been making waves this summer is Northampton’s all action back row Tom Pearson, who Genge insists trains in the same we he plays – “like a man possessed”.
Pearson makes his debut on Saturday with a real chance of securing a place at the World Cup despite his inexperience.
“Tom’s been outstanding. We’ve all seen his physicality and how he plays the game and his explosive nature with London Irish last season. We’re all looking forward to seeing him play and he’s been excellent in camp,” Sinfield said.
World number two Peter Wright crashed out of the NZ Darts Masters after a 6-3 defeat to truck driver Jonny Tata in Hamilton.
Wright – who suffered an early exit at the recent World Matchplay in Blackpool – had edged 2-1 in front with a break of throw.
However, Tata, making his debut at a televised event, then produced a run of four straight legs before missing match darts in the eighth.
The 30-year-old qualifier, though, did not spurn a second opportunity, landing a fine 84 checkout to secure his place in the quarter-finals.
“It’s an unreal feeling,” said Tata, who is based in Lower Hutt on the North Island near Wellington.
“Even to compete against Peter Wright I was happy, so coming out with the win on top is something magical.”
Dimitri Van den Bergh also slumped to a first-round defeat as he was beaten 6-2 by Haupai Puha to the delight of the home crowd.
Puha landed a trio of 180s and three ton-plus finishes to knock out the Belgian world number 13.
World number one Michael Smith, though, did progress after coming from behind to edge past former PDC tour card holder Darren Penhall 6-5 in a last-leg decider at the GLOBOX Arena.
World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall made it into the last eight with a 6-2 victory over New Zealand youngster Kayden Milne.
Aspinall will take on Puha for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Welshman Gerwyn Price, who won the tournament last year, beat Australia’s Simon Whitlock 6-1 and Dutchman Danny Noppert saw off Ben Robb 6-2 to also reach finals day of the PDC World Series of Darts event.
In the opening matches, former world champion Rob Cross defeated Warren Parry 6-3 and will play Tata in the last eight while Australian Damon Heta won 6-2 against Wellington’s Darren Herewini.
World Cup preparations will move up a gear for Wales and England when they meet in Cardiff on Saturday.
Their first tournament warm-up fixture comes five weeks before World Cup openers that see England face Argentina and Wales tackle Fiji.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some key talking points ahead of the game.
Last chance saloon
England’s line-up is littered with fringe contenders who have the opportunity to mount a compelling final argument for selection in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad, which is named on Monday. The identity of the 33 who will travel to France has mostly been decided, but a small handful of spots still have a question mark hanging over them. Debutant flanker Tom Pearson, wing Joe Cokanasiga and centre Joe Marchant are among those hoping to give Borthwick a nudge before the final selection meeting on Saturday evening.
Wales need a performance
Wales, to put it bluntly, lost their way after the spectacular high of a first away victory over South Africa 14 months ago. In 10 subsequent Tests, just two wins were recorded – against Argentina and Italy – while a miserable home defeat to Georgia effectively cost head coach Wayne Pivac his job. Warren Gatland was then appointed for a second stint as Wales boss, but an underwhelming fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations generated more questions than answers. Saturday’s Principality Stadium encounter might effectively be a ‘friendly’, yet the importance of a Wales win cannot be overstated in terms of restoring some confidence and optimism for suffering supporters.
Captain Morgan in charge
Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan will captain Wales for the first time in what is effectively the first of three World Cup leadership auditions. Gatland has said that he anticipates appointing a different skipper for each warm-up Test – England home and away, followed by South Africa in Cardiff – before announcing his final 33-player squad and leader later this month. Others in the captaincy frame include Dewi Lake, Dan Biggar, Will Rowlands and Adam Beard, but 23-year-old Morgan has been handed a golden opportunity to stake his claim. If Wales get it right, he could prove difficult to dislodge.
Smith calls the shots
Marcus Smith is not among those on trial at the Principality Stadium after Borthwick confirmed he will take three fly-halves to the World Cup. Unburdened by the need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to secure his place at the tournament, the instinctive Harlequins playmaker can focus on providing England with the generalship his position demands. Smith stands apart as an attacking fly-half, but his game management and organisational skills will have benefited from having worked alongside veteran ringmasters Owen Farrell and George Ford throughout the summer.
Century for Halfpenny
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny will become the ninth player to win 100 Wales caps when he runs out against England. It is a red-letter day for the 34-year-old, who has overcome major injury setbacks during recent seasons and now looks firmly on course to make Wales’ World Cup squad. He is just the fifth Welsh back to reach three figures after Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, George North and Biggar, while only Jones and Neil Jenkins have more amassed more points for Wales than Halfpenny’s current figure of 785. Almost 15 years after he made his Test debut, he now joins an exclusive club and can be guaranteed a rapturous reception for such an impressive achievement.
Ireland begin their World Cup warm-up matches by hosting Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Head coach Andy Farrell has named an experimental matchday squad for his side’s first fixture since clinching the Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam in March.
Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of Saturday evening’s match.
“Silver lining” of Sexton’s ban
Johnny Sexton’s three-match suspension has opened the door for his rival fly-halves to gain some much-needed international experience this month. Jack Crowley is the first to be handed an opportunity to impress. The 23-year-old’s selection is reward for his fine form for Munster, which included United Rugby Championship glory in May. Uncapped Ciaran Frawley awaits his chance on the bench, with fellow Leinster player Ross Byrne – Sexton’s main understudy during the Six Nations – hoping for involvement against England and Samoa in the coming weeks. Forwards coach Paul O’Connell described game time for the rookie trio as a “real good silver lining” to Sexton’s undesirable situation.
Staking a claim
Ireland’s World Cup hopefuls have just three games to secure places on the plane to France, with Farrell due to cut his 42-man squad down to 33 on August 28. Only three men – Robbie Henshaw, Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird – have retained starting roles from Ireland’s Six Nations success over England in March in a much-changed matchday 23. Many of the others are on the periphery and fighting for a spot. Lock Joe McCarthy and prop Tom O’Toole will make their first and second Test starts respectively, while potential debutants Frawley, Calvin Nash and Tom Stewart are joined on the bench by Connacht rookies Cian Prendergast and Caolin Blade.
Rare start for Stockdale
Jacob Stockdale was player of the championship during Ireland’s 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam win and a guaranteed starter at the last World Cup. But his international career has very much hit the buffers. The 27-year-old is set to make his first Test appearance for more than two years and just his sixth start of the Farrell era. James Lowe has emerged as Ireland’s first choice on the left wing, yet Keith Earls, who wins his 99th cap this weekend, is the only current squad member to have scored more Ireland tries than Stockdale (19). Farrell believes the Ulster player is still capable of being a “tremendous asset”.
Maintaining momentum
Tadhg Beirne, who is among the replacements, this week pointed to poor warm-up performances contributing to Ireland’s underwhelming World Cup campaign in Japan four years ago. Farrell and members of his squad have repeatedly stressed the Italy fixture is far from a friendly as, in addition to individuals competing for places, they attempt to maintain collective momentum going into the tournament in France. Ireland are bidding for an 11th successive win and a 15th on the bounce at home to protect their number one world ranking. They have lost just one of 21 Aviva Stadium fixtures under Farrell – to France in 2021.
England-born pair switch allegiances
Azzurri head coach Kieran Crowley has made nine personnel changes from last weekend’s 25-13 Murrayfield loss to Scotland, including naming two debutants of interest to English rugby fans: Paolo Odogwu and Dino Lamb. Coventry-born Odogwu, a former Sale and Wasps player, trained with England during Eddie Jones’ tenure. The 26-year-old will line up on Italy’s right wing, while Harlequins’ ex-England Under-20 international Lamb has been picked in the second row having also switched allegiances. Crowley’s selection is strong as Italy go in search of a first success on Irish soil since 1997 to add to their recent scalps of Wales and Australia.
Little Big Bear will miss out on a planned appearance in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday after suffering a stone bruise.
The No Nay Never colt was brilliant in winning four of his five starts as as a juvenile, but his three-year-old campaign has so far not quite gone according to plan.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge returned lame after contesting the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket – and while he bounced back to winning ways in the Sandy Lane at Haydock under Frankie Dettori, he had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Having subsequently endured a nightmare passage in the July Cup, Little Big Bear was on Thursday supplemented for the Deauville feature at a cost of almost €30,000. However, he was not declared on Friday morning and O’Brien revealed why he we will not be making the trip to France this weekend.
“He just has a stone bruise so he doesn’t run,” said the Ballydoyle handler.
In Little Big Bear’s absence a field of 10 are set to go to post for the six-and-a-half-furlong Group One, including a seven-strong British contingent.
The raiding party is headed Tim Easterby’s Art Power, who a fortnight ago won the Group Two Sapphire Stakes to maintain his unbeaten record at the Curragh.
Karl Burke saddles Hackwood Stakes third Cold Case as well as Spycatcher, who heads back across the Channel following a Group Three success at Deauville four weeks ago.
Archie Watson’s Saint Lawrence, the David Evans-trained Rohaan, Andrew Balding’s Sandrine and Brad The Brief from Hugo Palmer’s yard are also in the mix.
Julie Camacho’s July Cup winner Shaquille will begin fast work this weekend as he gears up for the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Winner of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the Charm Spirit three-year-old followed up with a second Group One success at Newmarket to take his record to seven wins from eight starts.
Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant, says there has been plenty of big-money interest from potential suitors for the champion sprinter-elect, although any decision will be left to co-owner and joint-breeder Martin Hughes.
“There has been lots of interest in him,” he admitted. “We have directed that down to Martin. He’s waded through it and I think he’s keen to do something more towards the end of the year, really.
“He said pretty early on it was something we’d discuss at the end of the year and we should just get on and enjoy the racing for now in the short term.
“There are lots of scenarios, but he’s been wonderful whatever happens.”
Shaquille has taken his length-and-a-half defeat of Run To Freedom in his stride and the team at Malton in North Yorkshire are now eyeing a Group One treble on September 9.
“Shaquille is in really good form. We purposely gave him a quiet couple of weeks after Newmarket which was always the plan,” added Brown.
“He has been grateful of that I think. He looks well and it has freshened him up. He was pretty quiet for a week there and gradually you could see he was getting over things. He has regrouped nicely and is back cantering.
“We are very pleased with him. He is a very straightforward horse at home and he will do his first bit of fast work on Saturday.
“We are all systems go to Haydock and we’re looking forward to it.
“He unfortunately gives himself a little bit of a tougher time than he might have if he was a little bit more conventional in his use of energy, but he doesn’t.
“He has a great will and a great way of getting the job done. He’s a determined sort of horse, but it is not always as conventional as it might be.”
Options remain open for the colt after the Sprint Cup, although the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot is a more likely option than heading to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup.
“I would think the obvious route would be to go to Champions Day,” said Brown. “We’ve obviously had a little bit of interest in the possibility of going abroad this year, but I think we will be staying at home and probably go to Ascot.
“We’ll go a step at a time, but it will have been a long year by then and he’s still three-year-old and we have to be mindful of that.
“The Breeders’ Cup has been mentioned, but the thing you’d be slightly guarded about at the minute is he’s slow-starting.
“The gate-speed of the Americans, they are so quickly away that I think we’d be at a real disadvantage there.
“The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is five (furlongs) and the dirt is six – we’d probably want it the other way round.
“But we’ll take a step at a time and we’ll know more after Haydock and go from there. You have to keep an open mind.”
Max Scherzer recovered from a rough first inning to get the win in his first game with his new club as the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 Thursday.
Scherzer, who was traded from the New York Mets last weekend, gave up three runs in the opening frame before settling in and finishing with six innings pitched and nine strikeouts in the victory.
Marcus Semien and Mitch Garver hit solo home runs as the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox.
The victory lifted Texas to a 1 ½-game lead in the AL West after the New York Yankees edged the Houston Astros.
Michael Lorenzen was sharper in his Philadelphia Phillies debut, tossing a season-high eight innings of two-run ball in a 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
Lorenzen, acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, scattered six hits, struck out five and walked one.
J.T. Realmuto returned after missing two games with a bruised right hand and homered and singled to help the Phillies take three of four against their NL East and wild-card rivals.
Ohtani exits mound early, hits 40th home run in loss
Shohei Ohtani was forced to leave the mound early but still hit his major league-leading 40th home run in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Ohtani pitched four scoreless innings before exiting due to cramping in his pitching hand and fingers but remained in the game as the designated hitter.
He singled, walked twice and took Isaiah Campbell deep in the eighth inning to extend the Angels’ lead to 3-1.
All-Star Carlos Estevez failed to protect the lead in the ninth, walking the first two batters before Dominic Canzone singled to load the bases. After Teoscar Hernandez struck out, rookie Cade Marlowe - playing in his 12th major league game - belted a pitch into the seats in right field for a grand slam and a 5-3 lead.
O’s continue mastery of Blue Jays, Flaherty strong in debut
Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle each had four hits, and Jack Flaherty threw six strong innings in his Baltimore Orioles debut in a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, Flaherty collected a win in his first start with the Orioles, allowing four hits and one run while striking out eight.
Mountcastle went 4 for 4 with four singles and an RBI, while Hays was 4 of 5 with a double and drove in two runs.
The win boosted the Orioles’ American League-best record to 67-42 and gave them an 8-2 mark against Toronto this season.
The Blue Jays have an 8-23 record against AL East opponents this season and a 52-27 record against all other opponents.
The Tampa Bay Rays put ace and Cy Young Award candidate Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list Thursday with left forearm tightness.
McClanahan departed his start Wednesday against the New York Yankees after four innings, and the Rays said in a statement Thursday that they are still in the process of gathering information.
McClanahan, a two-time All-Star at 26 years old, is 11-2 this season with a 3.29 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 115 innings.
The flame-throwing left-hander has been a major contributor to the Rays’ 66-45 record this season, second best in the American League, but has slumped recently.
After a sterling start to the season, McClanahan is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA over his last six starts, pitching just 25 2/3 combined innings while also battling tightness in his mid-back.
The Rays were atop the AL East for a total of 111 days this season but find themselves trailing the Baltimore Orioles by two games after Thursday’s results.
Anthony Joshua has some admiration for Tyson Fury’s uncompromising attitude but believes his British rival should be fighting professional boxers and not mixed martial artists.
Fury argued he was unable to arrange a showdown with Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk, which led the WBC heavyweight champion agreeing to box MMA star Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While Fury’s handlers have denied the crossover bout is an exhibition, the 34-year-old will not be defending his world title against the former UFC heavyweight champion, who has never boxed professionally before.
Fury has been accused of holding up the division and Joshua, who has a rematch against Dillian Whyte on August 12 at London’s O2 Arena, admitted he has some sympathy with boxers having to stand by for a title shot.
“I’m not frustrated by that because I’ve been champion and I know my process and I’m on this rebuilding phase but I can understand for people waiting in line it must be massively frustrating,” Joshua said.
“To become champion for some people is the be all and end all. That’s all they want to do and then they can pack up. I feel sorry for the people who want to know where they are going with their career.
“But Fury has to do what Fury has to do for him. I admire the guy for his confidence to do what’s right for him – he has an ‘eff it’ mentality. I think we all need a bit of that in today’s society.
“If you want to hold him accountable then yes he should be fighting active fighters and he should wait until the end of his career, when he’s not champion anymore, to compete with MMA fighters.”
Negotiations for an undisputed fight between Fury and WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk broke down earlier this year, with the British fighter attracting the most criticism which intensified after the Ngannou announcement.
The WBC has given Fury special dispensation to take on his Cameroonian-French opponent, in a fight which is expected to be highly lucrative for both combatants, as there is no mandatory challenger in place.
Joshua ruefully reflected that he would still be a world champion now had he ignored his mandatory and vacated one of the crowns now held by Usyk, who outpointed the Briton twice.
“When all is said and done it will just be part of (Fury’s) legacy and I think we will all forget about it sooner or later,” Joshua added.
“Usyk was my mandatory and I ended up losing to him. I would have loved to have gone to Saudi to compete with someone else and make a s*** load of money and swerve my mandatory.
“I would still be champion if I could do that but I didn’t get that opportunity and I had to take it on the chin. But life isn’t always fair.”
Great Britain recorded a best major women’s team sprint result in 11 years with silver at the UCI Cycling World Championships before Will Tidball ended the day with scratch race gold in Glasgow.
Lauren Bell, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane recorded a time fast enough to break the world record at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome but Germany went even faster to take gold in a time of 45.848 seconds.
Bell described it as a “bittersweet” result as they settled for silver, but even so it is another big marker after Britain failed to qualify for the team sprint at either of the last two Olympics.
Silver is Britain’s best result at this level since Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish finished runners up in 2011, having been beaten by an Australian team including outgoing Great Britain coach Kaarle McCulloch.
“We pushed them all the way,” said Capewell. “We can take a bit of credit for that world record I think. It’s a little bit disappointing but our goal is next year and this is a stepping stone.
“If you look at how far we’ve come, we’ve knocked over half a second off our time last year and none of us executed it perfectly so there is more to come.”
It was a rollercoaster day for Britain in the velodrome, with their defence of the men’s team pursuit title ending a qualifying crash for Charlie Tanfield in the morning, but Tidball ended it in golden fashion with a surprise win in the scratch race.
The 23-year-old, making his World Championship debut and competing in his only race of the week, kept himself hidden for much of the 60-lap race before coming around Dutch rider Roy Eefting-Bloem with half a lap to go.
“I didn’t have expectations,” Tidball said. “I didn’t really dream of coming away with a medal. I wanted to put it all on the line to win it. With a scratch race, that’s how you’re going to win. You can’t win it with a half-hearted attack. We went all-in and it paid off.”
If there was a complaint from the riders, it was that the medal ceremonies did not take place in the velodrome itself, but over in a side room away from the crowds.
“That’s the one thing that is missing,” Tidball said. “They should have put that here. It’s probably the most important thing to have in a track centre. Maybe I should win another time.”
But while Tidball could celebrate, it was a bad day for his men’s endurance team-mates as Tanfield crashed 40 metres from the line in team pursuit qualifying. With Britain already down to three riders at the time, they failed to set an official time and went out of the competition.
Britain had been on course for the second fastest qualifying time behind Denmark and a ticket to the medal rounds prior to the incident but Tanfield, a late call-up to the squad to replace the injured Ethan Hayter, began to lose the wheel of Dan Bigham and Ethan Vernon in the final laps.
As he pushed to keep up, Tanfield dipped his front wheel on to the blue band at the bottom of the track and lost control. The 26-year-old, part of the GB squad who won the world title in 2018, was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion.
Neah Evans missed out on bronze in the women’s individual pursuit, beaten by New Zealand’s Bryony Botha as American Chloe Dygert took gold.
There was success for Britain’s para-cyclists. Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl took gold in the women’s B kilo time trial, with Lizzi Jordan piloted by Amy Cole claiming bronze in the same event.
Steve Bate and Chris Latham took bronze in the men’s B individual pursuit.
Earlier in the day, Jody Cundy became the second British para-cyclist to set a new world record at these Championships as he clocked a time of 10.427 seconds in the men’s C4 omnium flying 200 metres.
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