It was perhaps not quite the result racing wanted in the Betfred St Leger, but the sight of the King and Queen cheering Desert Hero into a valiant third place added to a real sense of occasion at Doncaster.
Although disappointed not to send out a first royal Classic winner in 46 years, after the late Queen’s Dunfermline won the Leger in 1977, trainer William Haggas was well aware of the significance of the King and Queen attending the final Classic of the season – on an afternoon which was also the scene of Frankie Dettori’s final ride in such a race.
There had been suggestions the King might not share his mother’s love and enthusiasm for racing. But that has proven to be well wide of the mark, and the joy clearly evident in Desert Hero’s win at Royal Ascot in June has reignited the nation’s interest in the royal colours.
Having opened a farming and rural skills centre in Dumfries in the morning, the King raced to South Yorkshire in time to watch his Sea The Stars colt, and while the Tom Marquand-ridden Desert Hero found the combination of soft ground and an extended mile and three-quarters possibly stretching him – as well as the brilliance of the winner, Continuous – Haggas felt the day was a big one for Doncaster, and racing as a whole.
“It’s been a brilliant day and brilliant the King and the Queen have come, the crowd have embraced them, they seemed to have enjoyed it and they’ve been very enthusiastic,” said Haggas.
“I haven’t really had time to think about today this week as we’ve been so busy at home, but this horse is doing really well, he gets a bit sweaty but that is him. Physically he is thriving, he’s a very nice horse and a good effort for a first foal from the mare (Desert Breeze, bred by the late Queen).
“It’s been fantastic, the King has been embraced by the crowd, they both have, they’ve been very excited all week and OK he didn’t win but he ran with great credit and I’m sure they are very proud of him. It’s an all-round good day.”
As for the future, a trip to the Melbourne Cup has not yet been ruled out.
“I thought he ran a great race, he was just a little bit on it early and he really wants a mile and a half and a faster gallop. He’s going to be a very, very nice horse,” Haggas went on.
“I don’t know about the Melbourne Cup, that’s not my decision and it still needs to be discussed, hopefully we’ll make a decision quickly, well we have to because he’ll need to go into quarantine.
“He’s had a race there and he’s given his all, so I’m very proud of him. I’m thrilled his owners were here to see him.
“Tom didn’t blame the trip, I don’t think, he blamed the pace early which was a bit gentle for him but sensible in the conditions. He’ll be better with a faster pace and then he can take his time.
“He ran a good race and he beat Chesspiece a fair way this time, it’s probably a career-best so I can’t complain.
“As for next year a lot will depend on whether he goes for the Melbourne Cup, but he looks to me like a Hardwicke/King George horse.
“The Melbourne Cup is still on the table, but we said we wouldn’t discuss it until after this race because we’ve just been discussing this.”
The eloquent Marquand has not put a foot wrong all week, agreeing to dozens of media requests along the way, and he suggested with a stronger pace he may have finished a good deal closer than the three and a quarter lengths he was beaten.
Marquand said: “He was never quite in his comfort zone, they were always just going half a stride slower than I wanted.
“He’s run great and ran to the line, but it does leave the question whether this trip is him or not, he finds it easier to cruise at a mile and a half.
“It was super having the King and Queen here today to enjoy it. It’s been an enormous day for racing, it’s fantastic. Unfortunately he didn’t win, but he’s run super and lost nothing in defeat.”
Lance Stroll has been given the all-clear to race in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, despite his staggering 110mph qualifying crash.
The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the final left-hander at the Marina Bay Circuit before he slammed into the barrier.
The force of the high-speed impact sent Stroll’s head rocking from side-to-side. He catapulted back across the track, with British driver Lando Norris forced to take evasive action, dodging a flying wheel and Stroll’s out-of-control machine.
“Is the driver all right?” asked a concerned Norris on the radio. “That must have been quite a big one.”
Stroll pirouetted to a standstill in the middle of the track before his race engineer Ben Michell came on the radio.
“Lance, car is safe,” said Michell. “Are you OK?” Stroll, 24, replied: “Yeah, I am OK.”
The Aston Martin driver emerged from his wrecked vehicle unaided before being taken off in a medical car.
But there is some doubt if Stroll, the son of the team’s fashion billionaire father Lawrence Stroll, will be able to take part in the race given the significant damage sustained by his machine.
A statement from Aston Martin read: “Lance was taken to the medical centre for a precautionary assessment. He was cleared by the on-site medical team and returned to the team at track.
“Aston Martin pay tribute to the ongoing work of the FIA and the safety measures of current Formula One cars.”
Stroll’s accident brought a premature end to Q1. A 34-minute delay followed as the mangled tyre barrier was repaired.
Stroll was 20th and last at the time of his crash. Fernando Alonso qualified seventh in the other Aston Martin.
“I’m frustrated as we have a big job – in the garage and on the race track – ahead of us,” said Stroll.
“I was struggling for grip throughout the qualifying session. When I saw my lap wasn’t improving, I pushed really hard in the last corner to try and make up that extra time and that’s when it went wrong. Let’s see what we can salvage tomorrow in the race.”
Max Verstappen said he can forget about extending his record winning streak after qualifying only 11th for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
On a wild night under the 1600 bulbs that light up the Marina Bay Circuit, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also walked away from a staggering 110mph shunt, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz pipped the Mercedes of George Russell to land his second pole position in as many races. Charles Leclerc will start third ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
But it was the demise of Red Bull – the unbeaten tour de force of this most one-sided of seasons – that left those here in shock and awe. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez also failed to reach Q3. He will line up in 13th for Sunday’s 62-lap race.
Verstappen warned earlier this week that the Red Bull machinery which has carried him to a record 10 consecutive victories would not be suited to this unique 3.07-mile high-downforce circuit.
Yet, nobody could have foreseen him being sent for an early bath along with Perez in the other car. Verstappen was straight on the radio to express his dismay.
“I don’t know if you saw that, but that was just f***** shocking,” he said. “Absolutely shocking experience.”
Verstappen’s Red Bull team, without a defeat in the 14 rounds so far, now face an improbable task of making history by becoming Formula One’s first ‘Invincibles’.
“You can forget about that (a victory),” said Verstappen. “I don’t want it to sound too dramatic but it has been a tough weekend, and it is a long, long time since it has been like this in qualifying.”
Verstappen last started this far back in Saudi Arabia when a driveshaft failure consigned him to 15th at the second round in March. He finished runner-up to Perez.
But the streets of Singapore, unlike those in Jeddah, are strenuous to overtake on. Indeed, eight of the last 13 races here have been won from pole.
“You cannot pass here,” added Verstappen. “You need to be one and a half, to two or three seconds faster than the car in front which we are not. It will be a very tough and long afternoon.
“On other tracks you can start last and win, but not in Singapore. I want to win, but when it is not possible you have to accept that.
“I knew there would be a day that I wouldn’t win. I had a really good run up until now.
“And I would always take a season where we are winning as much as we have, and have one really bad weekend, over the other way round when you are not fighting for the championship. I am confident the car will be fast again in Suzuka next weekend.”
Red Bull’s sudden malaise cleared the way for Sainz to capture another pole, a fortnight after he secured top spot in qualifying in Monza.
However, Russell ran the Spaniard close, finishing just 0.072 seconds back, and the Englishman believes he has a strong chance of landing Mercedes’ first win of the campaign and the second of his career.
The Silver Arrows have also followed a unqiue strategy this weekend that leaves Russell with an extra set of medium tyres which could provide him with the tactical edge over Sainz.
“George has a really good shot at winning and I really hope he does,” said team-mate Hamilton, who qualified half-a-second back on disappointing evening for the seven-time world champion.
“I hope he gets a good start and gets ahead of the Ferraris. That would be amazing for him and for the team.
“For me, I will see what I can do. If I get further up then great. I changed the car last night and I don’t know what is going on with it. It is the hardest car I have ever driven to get right.”
There was no fairytale final Classic for Frankie Dettori as the retiring weighing-room legend had to settle for second aboard Arrest in the Betfred St Leger.
It was long thought Dettori would ride his Royal Ascot winner Gregory for his final crack at one of racing’s elite prizes, but the Italian made a last-minute switch to his John and Thady Gosden-trained stablemate Arrest ahead of declarations on Thursday on account of the soft going at Doncaster.
The 52-year-old had begun his farewell season with 2000 Guineas victory aboard Chaldean and in perfect symmetry he was again donning the Juddmonte silks in which he has enjoyed so many big-race triumphs throughout his career as he went in search of a seventh and final Leger trophy.
Like when partnering Arrest in his final Derby earlier in the season, the money came for Dettori’s mount, and he was sent off the 11-4 favourite as the stalls opened for the Doncaster showpiece.
And Dettori’s calculated risk briefly appeared clinical judgement as Arrest surged past a tiring Gregory approaching the final furlong.
However, already edging ahead of them was Ryan Moore aboard Continuous and Dettori was powerless in the closing stages as Aidan O’Brien’s improving colt galloped clear to run out a clinical winner of the world’s oldest Classic.
Dettori said: “I was actually getting excited between the three and the two and I thought I was going to win when I went by Gregory and then I looked over and saw Ryan and though ‘ah, I’m not going to’.
“I think that was a really good Leger, you could almost compare it to the Capri, Stradivarius, Coronet year (2017). I think the top three are pretty good.
“I said to John ‘train him as a good mile-and-a-half horse next year’ but then I realised it’s not my problem anymore”
He went on: “I wanted to curse at Ryan, but he’s such a good mate of mine I couldn’t. I congratulated him and he was on the best horse on the day.
“I had a super run and then I saw I Ryan going better than me and I knew getting second would be good.
“He was a bit gassy, but that’s the way he is. He could be a force to be reckoned with next year over a mile and a half.
“It’s been a good journey, it wasn’t to be but I came close and I loved it.”
As at the Ebor meeting Dettori – who enjoyed a chat with the King, in attendance to watch his Desert Hero finish a gallant third, following the race – laughed off the idea he could be tempted to postpone retirement. “It’s got to be (a) big (offer)! Big!” he said.
Arrest’s training team concurred with Dettori’s thoughts that Arrest could be a real player in some top contests next term.
They were also satisfied with the brave effort of Gregory, who after being up with the pace throughout plugged on when tired in unsuitable ground to finish a not-disgraced fifth.
Thady Gosden said: “They’ve both run very good races, they’ve just been beaten by a very good horse there.
“Arrest has run a super race to be second. Gregory ran a nice race but the ground just wasn’t in his favour, he’s a horse with a lovely action and it would have been a bit deep for him.
“I think they are both quite versatile regarding trip. If you look at Gregory he’s still got some maturing to do, he’s a big horse and could be a Cup horse next year.
“We’ll have to see with Arrest, he’s stayed a mile-six-and-a-half there which isn’t far off a Cup trip so we’ve lots to look forward to.”
Tom Scudamore will don familiar colours in the ever-popular Vickers.Bet Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster on Sunday.
The one-mile event sees retired riders attempt to recreate past glories to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the National Horseracing College in nearby Rossington, and Scudamore, who called time on his riding career in February, will ride Ben Brookhouse’s appropriately named I Still Have Faith.
Scudamore carried the Brookhouse family silks to Cheltenham Festival glory when Western Warhorse snatched the 2014 Arkle and although his mount this weekend is not at the same level, he does head into this race with leading claims.
“He’s the highest-rated horse in this race, so I’m quite pleased to get on him,” said Scudamore.
“I’ve had a lot of success in the Brookhouse colours over the years, so it’s quite fitting to have my last go in those colours.
“Obviously we’ve got the yard in Hereford now with young horses, so I’ve been keeping myself busy in that respect and all is good. I might not be quite at peak fitness, but we’re not far off – I haven’t let myself go too badly!”
He went on: “It’s a fantastic cause. Jack Berry is somebody we all admire so much after what he’s done and what he’s achieved over the years and it’s very fitting that he’s once again got the turn out he’s got.
“We’re all competitive people, you don’t ride as many winners as everyone has ridden to not be competitive. I’m sure there’ll be smiles to begin with but we’ll all be deadly serious once it gets going!”
Robbie Power got the perfect send-off at the Punchestown Festival in 2022, but is confident he has done enough in the interim to retain his fitness ahead of getting the leg-up on Mick Appleby’s Lion’s Dream.
He said: “I’m looking forward to it. I was supposed to take part last year but unfortunately I couldn’t.
“This will be my first time riding on a racecourse since I got off Teahupoo in Punchestown in April of last year, but I’ve been busy riding work for Henry (de Bromhead) and keeping myself fit.
“It will be a fun day and it’s for a great cause. I haven’t lost the winning mentality so hopefully I get a good ride and we’ll do our best to be competitive.
“I think everyone will have the same mentality, they’ll be wanting to win, so I’m sure there’ll be no quarter given.”
Davy Russell initially hung up his boots in December last year, but after already making one retirement U-turn this year, will make a second comeback – albeit for one race – aboard David O’Meara’s Culcor.
The 44-year-old answered an SOS from Gordon Elliott when returning to deputise for the injured Jack Kennedy and having thought he had exited the weighing room for good following his ride on Galvin in the Grand National, was quickly persuaded to take part in this fund-raising event by fellow jumps stalwart Andrew Thornton.
Russell said: “It should be good craic anyway. I’ve been riding out a bit Gordon and I’ve a few horses and ponies at home as well, so I’ll be fit enough. The weight is a bit of an issue all right, but we’ll manage that – hopefully my boots will fit me!
“It’s a good cause to support. Andrew Thornton got hold of me in Aintree and didn’t give me much chance to think about it!”
At the other end of the scale, it was 1999 when Jamie Osborne retired from race riding and he now brings to an end a 24-year hiatus from the saddle.
Osborne will partner his own Cliffs Of Capri and although soft ground may be against his mount, he credits the race with providing him with some focus, with the fear of failure driving his pre-race fitness regime.
He said: “I have to confess, getting ready for it has probably done me the world of good. I’ve actually tried quite hard riding and going to the gym for the last six weeks. I don’t like admitting it, but I do feel better for it.
“As ever, I’m absolutely useless unless I have a goal, but I don’t know, I will probably go back to being a slob afterwards.
“There has to be some fear attached to it for motivation and the fear has always been making an absolute idiot of myself.
“Cliffs Of Capri has never been as good on soft ground as he has been on good ground, but hopefully he copes with it and it may dry out a bit before the race. If it’s tacky it will probably not be in his favour.”
Other notable names taking part include Richard Johnson (Dandy Maestro), Mattie Batchelor (Mykonos St John) and former champion jockeys on the Flat, Paul Hanagan (Biplane) and Seb Sanders (Always Fearless).
Continuous added to Aidan O’Brien’s Classic haul with a clinical triumph in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.
On a day when a first royal Classic winner since 1977 was a real possibility, it was racing royalty that came to the fore as O’Brien won the showpiece event for the seventh time with the 3-1 second-favourite striking in the hands of Ryan Moore.
The Ballydoyle runner had marked himself out as a prime contender for the final Classic of the season with victory in the Great Voltigeur at York and franked that form in supreme style on Town Moor.
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With stablemate Denmark setting the pace from Gregory, Moore was at pains to bide his time aboard Continuous alongside Desert Hero towards the rear of midfield.
But on turning for home Continuous showed his class up the long, stamina-stamina Doncaster straight, working his way to the front two furlongs from home and surging clear to register a two-and-three-quarter-length success over 11-4 favourite Arrest, who was ridden by Frankie Dettori in his final Classic.
Desert Hero ran with huge credit in third for the King and Queen, who were on course to watch the William Haggas-trained colt.
Hosts Lebanon secured a 4-0 victory over the travelling Jamaicans in Davis Cup World Group II play on Friday and Saturday.
Play at the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon in Jounieh got underway of Friday with Benjamin Hassan taking on Jamaica’s Rowland “Randy” Phillips in singles.
Hassan, Lebanon’s highest ranked ATP singles player at 209, took a tight first set 7-5 before completing a straight-sets win with a 6-3 score-line in the second set.
It was then time for Jamaica’s highest ranked player, Blaise Bicknell, to see if he could level proceedings with a win over Hady Habib.
The pair played out a tight first set, eventually needing a tiebreak at 6-6 with Habib taking it 7 points to five over the Jamaican world number 430.
The second set was far less competitive, with Habib taking it 6-1 to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
On Saturday, Phillips and Bicknell were first up in doubles taking on Habib and Hassan.
The Lebanese took the first set 6-2 before the Jamaicans rallied to take the second 6-3. Lebanon’s pair then held their nerve to take the decider 6-3 and take a 3-0 lead in the tie.
The fourth match saw Mustapha El Natour secure a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Jamaica’s Daniel Azar.
Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix from a shock 11th place after Lance Stroll crashed out at 110mph and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took pole position.
On a wild night at the Marina Bay Circuit, both Red Bull drivers were eliminated in Q2 leaving the world champions facing an enormous task to retain their unbeaten record this season.
George Russell qualified second, missing out on pole by just 0.072 seconds with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari, one place ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, half-a-second back.
Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 after he bemoaned the handling of the Red Bull machine which has carried him to a record 10 consecutive wins, but has struggled under the bulbs that light up this unique 3.07-mile high-downforce track.
Verstappen missed out on Q3 by 0.007 sec, and then took aim at his team over the radio.
“I don’t know if you saw that, but it was an absolutely shocking experience,” he said amid of flurry of expletives.
Verstappen is also facing three stewards’ investigations for separate incidents of impeding during qualifying.
His team-mate Sergio Perez, who spun, also failed to progress to Q3. He will start 13th following a miserable night for the team from Milton Keynes in the city-state.
Red Bull’s demise allowed Sainz to capture his second consecutive pole with Russell narrowly missing out.
Earlier, Stroll survived a staggering crash. The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the final left-hander before he slammed into the barrier.
The force of the high-speed impact sent Stroll’s head rocking from side-to-side. He catapulted back across the track with Norris forced to take evasive action – dodging a flying wheel and Stroll’s out-of-control machine.
“Is the driver alright?” asked Norris on the radio. “That must have been quite a big one.”
Stroll pirouetted to a standstill in the middle of the track before his race engineer Ben Michell came on the radio.
“Lance, car is safe,” said Michell. “Are you OK?” Stroll, 24, replied: “Yeah, I am OK.”
The Aston Martin driver emerged from his wrecked car unaided before being taken off to the medical centre.
Aston Martin confirmed Stroll had been given the all-clear by the on-site medical team and was allowed to return to the paddock.
Stroll’s accident brought a premature end to a frenetic conclusion to Q1 and left the marshals with a significant barrier repair job at the final corner, with fluid from his car also on the track.
The session was delayed for 34 minutes before Q2 started at 9.53pm local time.
England resume their World Cup campaign when they face Japan in their second Pool D encounter at Stade de Nice on Sunday.
Here the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the showdown on the French Riviera.
No more cards
England have amassed more cards this year than any team ranked in the top 10, accumulating five yellows and four reds. It is a debilitating statistic and while Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield are adamant that the team do not have a discipline problem, they know they can not keep playing with 14 men – or even less. The officiating of incidents involving head contact and their subsequent disciplinary hearings during this World Cup have been plagued by inconsistency, making avoiding dangerous play more important than ever.
Sharpen the attack
England delivered a defensive masterclass to nullify clueless Argentina but there was no masking their attacking deficiencies. The most glaring moment was the butchering of a clear overlap that the same players would finish with ease for their clubs. If England are to advance deeper into the World Cup they must show they have the capacity to score tries as drop goals and penalties alone will not be sufficient to see off the big guns.
Sinckler ready to roll
A big moment looms for Kyle Sinckler, who will be making his first World Cup appearance since he was knocked out in the final against South Africa four years ago. Sinckler was in the form of his career in Japan, his scrummaging, ball handling skills and rampaging runs elevating him into the sport’s elite band of tighthead props. The 30-year-old has failed to rescale those heights since and now that he has recovered from a chest injury to take his place in the front row, he will be determined to invoke his 2019 form.
Ford’s final audition
A fudge beckons when Borthwick is confronted with one of the toughest selection decisions of his young reign. George Ford was outstanding against Argentina and is in the form of his life, but with Owen Farrell completing a four-match suspension against Japan the long-term friends are battling for the same number 10 jersey. Borthwick will reveal his thinking in the final group fixture against Samoa on October 7 when he is expected to reunite the duo in a playmaking axis that served England well in 2019, but before then Ford has one last opportunity to show why he should be entrusted to pilot the team by himself.
Tika Taka Japan
Defence coach Sinfield has compared Japan’s tactics to the ‘Tika Taka’ football played by Barcelona and England are on guard for dynamic opponents who like to move the ball and look for space over contact. They are not the force of four years ago when they lit up their home World Cup through enterprise and courage, but they have the capacity to upset the favourites if they hit their stride.
The current Davis Cup format has been branded a “disaster” and “wrong”, but players’ calls for the return of home-and-away ties look set to be rejected.
Since 2019, the historic competition has been converted to a World Cup-style event with group stages and matches on neutral soil, but low crowd numbers have attracted consistent criticism.
Stan Wawrinka posted a video on social media on Tuesday showing virtually empty stands in Manchester for Switzerland’s tie against France, a stark contrast to the 9,000-strong crowd that attended Britain’s contest with Australia the following day.
After Britain’s 2-1 victory over Switzerland on Friday, Wawrinka said: “We see the difference between today and three days ago – it’s not normal. I played some Challenger tournaments this year and there were way more people and a way better atmosphere than when we played France.
“You have to try new things, that’s for sure, but it’s been quite a clear disaster. This company, they finish a 25-year deal after five years so that means something is wrong. And the people who took this decision are still deciding for the future of Davis Cup.”
A lot of the ire has been directed towards former Barcelona and Spain footballer Gerard Pique, whose Kosmos group took over the running of the competition from the International Tennis Federation in 2018 and instigated the changes.
Kosmos promised to invest three billion US dollars into the sport over 25 years in a deal that always seemed financially questionable and it is heading for the courts after collapsing earlier this year, with both sides blaming the other.
Australian former doubles great Mark Woodforde, who is chair of the Davis Cup committee, believes the focus on Kosmos has masked the problems that existed with the old format.
He told the PA news agency: “We’re fully aware that some players will say, ‘Why don’t we go back to that home-and-away format?’ That format was not working. That’s why the change came about. The old format was killing Davis Cup.
“We had nations telling the ITF they were unhappy, it needed to change. We had our title sponsor telling us we need to make changes, we need to keep the competition alive, we need to make it fresh.
“The home-and-away format had been an integral part of the competition historically, we haven’t got rid of it, it’s still there, it’s still alive in the lower groups as well. Even without Kosmos being involved, we think the changes we’ve made are positive.
“It’s in the minority some of those voices, some of them are politically motivated, which is unnecessary. Stan created a bit of a furore with filming the stands. We’re always welcome to having feedback, it’s unfortunate he did it in such a public way.”
While the ITF insists players were consulted and their views taken into account, that is not the feeling among those doing battle on the court.
Andy Murray said: “I was on the ATP player council when the initial discussions were had about this format, not one person on the council supported it.
“We told that to (ITF president) David Haggerty and to the ITF at the time. We were told that would be taken into consideration and then literally two days later it was announced they were changing the format.
“We’re fortunate here because we get to play all of the matches in a brilliant atmosphere, great crowd. It is a shame when France and Australia, two of the biggest tennis nations, they love their Davis Cup, and they’re playing in front of what feels like an empty stadium.
“It feels wrong. I think the format will have to change if it’s going to be successful again. All the players loved the home-and-away ties, I think the fans loved the home-and-away ties as well. Hopefully there’s a way we can get it back to that.”
At the end of the current group stage on Sunday, the top two teams from each group will progress to November’s final eight event in Malaga.
That will be played entirely on neutral territory, though, with Spain already knocked out following two losses.
While organisers are open to tweaks and insist they welcome feedback from players, it does not appear there are likely to be any major changes to the format in future years.
The focus instead is likely to be on trying to improve the attendance and atmosphere at ties where there is no home team, with Woodforde suggesting organised support crews, reducing capacity at venues and working with them to better promote all the players on show.
“It’s challenging,” he said. “It really does make it look like we’re not doing a great thing for the competition, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“In 2024 the competition will remain as is. We feel this is the format where we can see mileage with it.
“I don’t think there is a format that we are going to ever have 100 per cent thumbs up from the players and the nations. Through our cooperation with the ATP we are doing an assessment looking at the options. I think we leave the door open for tweaks.”
Sandrine relished conditions at Doncaster to run out a convincing winner of the Betfred Park Stakes.
A Royal Ascot scorer at two, Andrew Balding’s filly had been without a victory since taking the Lennox Stakes at last year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival.
However, she got the perfect tow into this hotly-contested seven-furlong event and as the front-running Audience and 5-4 favourite Spycatcher got duelling a long way from home, Oisin Murphy switched out the 11-2 winner who came cruising by the two market leaders just inside the final furlong and galloped on gamely to hold off the rallying Audience.
Sandrine has now secured Pattern-race triumphs in all three seasons she has been in training and Anna Lisa Balding, representing her husband, was thrilled to see Kirsten Rausing-owned four-year-old back to winning ways.
She said: “What a star. It is up to Kirsten (if this is her last season), but she owes us nothing. To come back and run as well as she did in the City of York Stakes and then two weeks later run like that in this ground, she has a massive heart.
“Oisin said he was keen not to go too soon and they seemed to go pretty steady early and no one wanted to go on. He got it spot-on.”
Both Paddy Power and Betfair went 12-1 for the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot on October 21, but Balding was in no rush to name a next target, with the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp on October 1 another possible option.
She added: “I think we will see how she is when she gets home as it can sometimes take quite a lot out of them on this ground. It is important with breeding prospects ahead of her to look after her.”
Lance Stroll survived a staggering 110mph crash in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the final left-hander at the Marina Bay Circuit before he slammed into the barrier.
The force of the high-speed impact sent Stroll’s head rocking from side-to-side. He catapulted back across the track with British driver Lando Norris forced to take evasive action – dodging a flying wheel and Stroll’s out-of-control machine.
“Is the driver alright?” asked Norris on the radio. “That must have been quite a big one.”
Stroll pirouetted to a standstill in the middle of the track before his race engineer Ben Michell came on the radio.
“Lance, car is safe,” said Michell. “Are you okay?” Stroll, 24, replied: “Yeah, I am OK.”
The Aston Martin driver emerged from his wrecked car unaided before being taken off to the medical centre.
Stroll’s accident brought a premature end to a frenetic conclusion to Q1 with drivers improving as the city-state track evolved.
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda led the way, with Lewis Hamilton 14th of the 20 runners with the bottom five set to be eliminated.
Stroll’s impact left the marshals with a significant barrier repair job at the final corner, with fluid from his car also on the track.
The session was delayed for 34 minutes before Q2 started at 9:53pm local time.
Novak Djokovic competing in the "unique" Davis Cup so soon after winning the US Open comes as an honour for tournament director Feliciano Lopez.
Serbia's Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 grand slam triumphs after a straight-sets victory earlier in September.
At 36 years and 111 days, Djokovic became the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open, as well as winning three majors in a year for the fourth time in his career.
That saw him surpass Roger Federer – who won three grand slams in a year on three occasions – but unlike the Swiss star, Djokovic has shown no signs of slowing down.
The 36-year-old was straight back into action just five days later, overcoming Alejandro Davidovich to help Serbia into the Davis Cup quarter-finals with victory over Spain.
Former Spanish tennis player and now tournament director Lopez hailed the endeavours of Djokovic for appearing in Valencia in such a short period after victory in the United States.
"As you can imagine having Novak here in Valencia this week is such an honour first of all," Lopez told Stats Perform.
"I personally appreciate a lot what he's done by coming here after winning the US Open because I know how tough it is to win a slam and then three or four days after put yourself in a position to compete again at the highest level.
"I don't think I can thank him enough that he's here ready to compete, ready to represent his country.
"I have to take my hat off and say thank you and wish him all the best for the rest of the week."
Djokovic has reiterated his commitment to helping Serbia to a second title in the men's Davis Cup, a tournament that Lopez believes is different to any other.
"I think the fact that you're representing your country is one of the things that I wanted to say [about what makes it special] because tennis is an individual sport where you normally play for yourself," he added.
"Whenever you have the chance to play for your team-mates, for your country and for a lot of people that you know, they put in a lot of efforts during that particular week to make everything happen.
"For me, it's the most special thing and unique."
Annaf’s class came to the fore as he carried top-weight to a game victory in the Betfred Portland Handicap at Doncaster.
Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a regular in Group-race company this season and made the podium at Royal Ascot when third in the King’s Stand Stakes.
However, the 7-1 shot was remarkably still a maiden on turf prior to making his 23rd overall career start in the hands of Rossa Ryan.
Ridden with supreme confidence by the in-form jockey, the duo picked their way through a stacked field and pulled out all the stops to prevail in a photo-finish over Julie Camacho’s Significantly.
The victory continued a fine week on Turf Moor for Oakham-based Appleby who enjoyed Flying Childers success with the Breeders’ Cup-bound Big Evs on Friday.
Annaf’s class came to the fore as he carried top-weight to a game victory in the Betfred Portland Handicap at Doncaster.
Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a regular in Group-race company this season and made the podium at Royal Ascot when third in the King’s Stand Stakes.
However, the 7-1 shot was remarkably still a maiden on turf prior to making his 23rd overall career start in the hands of Rossa Ryan.
Ridden with supreme confidence by the in-form jockey, the duo picked their way through a stacked field and pulled out all the stops to prevail in a photo-finish over Julie Camacho’s Significantly.
The victory continued a fine week on Turf Moor for Oakham-based Appleby who enjoyed Flying Childers success with the Breeders’ Cup-bound Big Evs on Friday.
Kyle Steyn is desperate to earn a return to the Scotland squad for next Sunday’s World Cup match against Tonga after being left devastated by his omission for the opening defeat by his birth country South Africa.
The 29-year-old wing started all five Six Nations matches earlier this year in the absence of injured talisman Darcy Graham and he went into the global showpiece in France buoyed by having scored three tries in the last two summer warm-up matches, including a double away to Les Bleus.
But with the fit-again Graham and Duhan van der Merwe handed the two starting berths on the wing and full-back Ollie Smith, centre Cam Redpath and scrum-half Ali Price the three backs chosen for bench duty, Johannesburg-born Steyn had to watch from the stand at Stade Velodrome as Scotland suffered an 18-3 defeat by the Springboks.
With the Scots having posted their lowest-scoring outing since losing the 2019 World Cup opener 27-3 to Ireland and failing to score a try for the first time in almost three years, prolific Glasgow captain Steyn is knocking on the door for a return to the fold when Gregor Townsend’s side return to action in Nice next weekend.
“I was gutted, I was absolutely gutted,” said Steyn, reflecting on being left out of the 23 for the opener in Marseille. “But I also understood that the guys who were picked ahead of me are phenomenal players who are in great form, and I think that’s the good thing about our squad at the moment, that we’ve got that level of competitiveness.
“You just have to accept you might find yourself on the wrong side of that sometimes.
“I’m desperate to be back in the squad next week. Especially with having two weeks off, there’s a real want for the squad to get back out there and put our best foot forward, and I want to be part of that, I want to be in the 23.”
The prospect of facing Tonga brings back “special” memories for Steyn.
In what was his first start for the national team in October 2021, the wing became the first player to score four tries in one match for Scotland as they defeated the Pacific Islanders 60-14 at Murrayfield.
“It was a great day out,” he recalled. “It was our first game at Murrayfield with fans back (since the pandemic) and I did well so I look back on it with good memories.
“It’s an incredibly special day to look back on. I think about how much history Scottish rugby has and to have a small piece of it like that, myself and my family are incredibly proud.
“I remember some pretty hard hits as well that day so I’m sure it will be a tough game next weekend.”
Steyn reflected on events in the Scottish camp this week after hooker Dave Cherry was forced to withdraw from the squad with concussion sustained after a fall at the team’s hotel last Monday and Stuart McInally – due to retire after the World Cup – was drafted in as his replacement having missed out on selection last month.
“We’re gutted for Dave that it’s ended like that,” said Steyn. “We wish him well. We’re happy first and foremost that he’s healthy and he’ll be OK.
“The flip side is that we’ve got Rambo (McInally), who didn’t make the squad and was retiring on 49 caps and so it’s great to have someone with that experience who is also bringing a fresh energy in.
“You can see his desire to get out there and get his 50th cap, so it’s great for the squad to have him with us.”
Last year’s 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet is raring to go ahead of her return to the track in the Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster on Sunday.
George Boughey’s daughter of Aclaim came close to a Classic double in 2022 and was only a head away from adding the French equivalent to the 1000 Guineas triumph she achieved at Newmarket two weeks prior.
However, she has only been seen once more when finishing fifth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and after a long 457 days on the sidelines, drops back to seven furlongs for her comeback in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Boughey said: “She’s in good shape. The ground is a question mark, she ran very well in the Albany on soft ground but she hasn’t really seen it since.
“Her work has been smart at home and I’m pretty happy with her. She’s a very fresh horse going into the autumn and she’s in good shape.”
Cachet will face a strong cast of rivals, which includes proven Group-level performers.
Richard Hannon’s Magical Sunset relished testing conditions and had Charlie Appleby’s Dream Of Love back in third when winning a Group Three at Goodwood last month, while Ralph Beckett saddles both Dandy Alys and Nigiri, with the latter bringing up a hat-trick in style at York last month.
Samedi Rien was only two lengths behind Cachet’s stablemate Believing when last seen at Pontefract and brings some continental flare to the event from Spain, while Johnny Murtagh’s Clounmacon and Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte both make the trip from Ireland.
The latter finished third behind Mawj and Tahiyra in this year’s 1000 Guineas and having almost got back to winning ways at Tipperary recently, her handler is looking forward to her latest trip to the UK as Oisin Murphy takes over in the saddle.
“She’s back on track and we were either going to come to Doncaster or go to the Curragh next week for the Renaissance Stakes,” said Cotter.
“This is a seven-furlong fillies’ race and we opted for this and we’re hoping for a big run from her.”
He went on: “At Tipperary it was seven furlongs and 110 yards and it was the last 50 yards that did for her really, so I think she goes there with a live chance. We’re looking forward to seeing her run, she’s fit and well and we’re keen to roll the dice.”
There are only four declared for the supporting Betfred Scarbrough Stakes where Tom Clover’s Rogue Lightning has the chance to bring up a hat-trick on his return to Pattern company.
The son of Kodiac shaped with real promise in his first couple of outings at two before losing his way, but has thrived since being gelded and dropped to the minimum distance, scoring over course and distance earlier in the summer.
“We’ve always liked the horse and we tried him quite highly as a two-year-old,” explained Clover.
“Since gelding him and dropping him back to five furlongs it seems to have really helped and he looks in good shape.”
Raasel got back to winning ways at Haydock following a promising run behind Highfield Princess at Goodwood and although Clover believes Mick Appleby’s charge rates as a real danger, he is hopeful Rogue Lightning can continue on his upwards curve.
He added: “We hope this is a nice opportunity for him, but Raasel looks in good form and has produced two really good runs recently. He could be a tough horse to beat, but touch wood Rogue Lightning seems progressive and is going the right way.
“He’s been a lovely horse for the owners so far and hopefully he can take us to some more big days.”
Karl Burke’s Beverley Bullet runner-up Silkie Wilkie and Scott Dixon’s Fine Wine complete the line-up on Town Moor.
Iberian gave a glimpse of his star potential with a taking victory in the Betfred Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
Charlie Hills’ youngster went into plenty of notebooks when making an impressive debut at Newbury, but inexperience took its toll at Goodwood when immediately thrust into Group Two company in the Vintage Stakes.
A length second to Haatem on that occasion, connections retained the faith in the exciting son of Lope De Vega, who had another Richard Hannon-trained runner in his way on Town Moor in the shape of the unbeaten Rosallion.
Tom Marquand was keen to shadow the 5-6 favourite up the Doncaster straight, but whereas Rosallion was unable to land a blow when push came to shove, Iberian demonstrated his class, and once hitting the front a furlong out he surged clear to come home two lengths ahead of runner-up Sunway.
Last year’s winner Chaldean went on to land the Dewhurst Stakes before returning at three to claim the 2000 Guineas and this year’s 3-1 scorer is likely to have similarly lofty aspirations, with both Betfair and Paddy Power going 8-1 from 16s for Newmarket’s end-of-season juvenile Group One and 20-1 for the opening Classic of 2024.
Maro Itoje insists England will do whatever it takes to win if a substance over style approach emerges as their blueprint for success at the World Cup.
George Ford kicked all 27 points in their rout of Argentina last Saturday as England responded to the third-minute dismissal of Tom Curry for a dangerous tackle by grinding the Pumas into submission.
It was a rousing riposte to a dismal warm-up campaign but having excelled in defence and shown the smarts to shape their gameplan according to events, a potent attack remains elusive.
Free running Japan are the next assignment at the Stade de Nice on Sunday and while Itoje would prefer to see England run riot, he will take a victory any way it comes.
When asked if it matters how the team win, Itoje said: “For me, it’s by any means necessary.
“Obviously, we like to score tries and we’d like to score loads of tries. But for me it’s by any means necessary as long as we get the win.
“Every game’s different and is going to present different challenges. The task is to find ways to get on the positive side of the result.
“We know Japan move the ball. We know they are a very clever team that comes up with clever plays. However, the goal and task is to enforce an English style of rugby on this game.
“We want to show our best hand and we want to defend it well. We want to impose our physicality.
“We want to get into our set piece game and when the opportunity is right our generals will fire us in attack. Yes Japan move the ball, but it is about us imposing our will on them.
“Japan run the ball more than Argentina and are very aggressive with how they play and the spirit and the energy of how they play.”
Japan are not the force that lit up the 2019 World Cup with the pandemic hitting them harder than any other international side as they were prevented from playing a Test for two years.
If, as expected, England dispatch a team who have fallen to 14th in the global rankings they will have clear sight of a place in the quarter-finals with group games against Chile and Samoa left to play.
But Jamie George accepts that if they are to progress further in the competition, they must develop more strings to their bow.
“If we’re going to win a World Cup, which is what we’re here to do, we know that we’re going to have to kick on from where we were,” George said.
“The great English teams that I watched growing up and that I have been a part of based their teams around great defence and great set piece.
“As long as we are doing that I think our attacking game flows off the back of that. We have got players who can do special things.
“You have just seen the start of us in this tournament. We hope you will see us score points in different ways.”
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