A late goal by substitute Danilo gave Rangers a dramatic 2-1 win over Hearts at Ibrox and breathed life into the title race.

Celtic drew 0-0 at Hibernian on Saturday and are now five points ahead of the Light Blues at the top of the cinch Premiership.

Elsewhere, Aberdeen lost 2-0 at Kilmarnock, Motherwell came back to draw 3-3 at home to Ross County and there were wins for Dundee and St Mirren, the latter victory having huge implications for St Johnstone boss Steven MacLean.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the weekend.

Rangers battle back to clinch crucial victory

Philippe Clement was taking charge of Rangers for only the third time and saw their resilience tested to the limit against Hearts. Captain Lawrence Shankland gave the Jambos the lead after just five minutes and Gers supporters’ disgruntlement slowly increased as their side huffed and puffed, with skipper James Tavernier hitting a post with a penalty just before the break. The Light Blues kept going in the second half without any joy initially, but just when it looked like Hearts would escape with a famous victory, Tavernier was handed a second chance from the spot and made no mistake before substitute Danilo headed in a winner to close the gap behind league leaders Celtic to five points. If nothing else, Clement knows his players will keep going to the end.

Brendan Rodgers wary of wholesale changes

The Celtic manager picked the same team at Easter Road that played the bulk of Wednesday’s Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid. But the champions lacked tempo and a spark until showing more urgency when the likes of James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and David Turnbull came on. The goalless draw maintained Celtic’s unbeaten league record but they may have to rotate their team for the visit of in-form St Mirren.

Mika is Motherwell’s saviour

Mika Biereth sparked an unlikely Motherwell comeback as they twice came from two goals down to force a 3-3 draw with Ross County. The on-loan Arsenal striker won and scored a penalty and set up Conor Wilkinson to net before teenager Luca Ross grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser. Well have missed Biereth during a knee injury lay-off and his Premiership record is attention-grabbing: in 50 minutes of action he has provided two goals and two assists.

Steven MacLean departs St Johnstone

There was no real surprise when it emerged on Sunday that the Perth side had parted company with manager MacLean. Saints remain bottom of the league without a win following their 4-0 defeat by St Mirren on Saturday. MacLean claimed some players “chucked it” during the defeat in Paisley but in the end it was the former Perth striker and first-team coach Liam Craig who paid the price for a poor start to the season.

Aberdeen continue their league struggle

The Dons put up a good fight against Greek outfit PAOK in their Europa Conference League game on Thursday night before losing 3-2 at Pittodrie. However, they were well off the mark when they travelled to Rugby Park on league duty on Sunday. Goals from Killie skipper Kyle Vassell and fellow forward Marley Watkins gave Derek McInnes’ side a deserved 2-0 win and took them into fourth place in the table. Aberdeen are 10th with just nine points from nine fixtures and have only won two league games.

England head coach Matthew Mott has rejected former captain Eoin Morgan’s suggestion that his team are “unsettled” behind the the scenes despite watching yet another heavy World Cup defeat.

Mott worked with Morgan when he took over the white-ball side 18 months ago, but the Irishman headed into retirement soon after, passing the baton to Jos Buttler.

As the man who led England’s World Cup triumph in 2019, Morgan’s word still carries plenty of weight and he has made some eye-catching observations about his old team-mates.

Speaking to Sky Sports prior to England’s 100-run loss to India in Lucknow, their fifth loss in six games of an abject title defence, he said the side were “definitely unsettled” and responded to the idea they were simply off form by saying “there’s something else going on, there has to be”.

Having then watched England’s latest collapse against the hosts, which kept them rooted to the foot of the table, Morgan said he would have laughed in the face of anyone who had predicted such a plight at the start of the tournament.

Responding to those comments after the latest setback, Mott said: “Eoin’s entitled to his opinion. He’s obviously been away (from India) for a couple of weeks with the birth of his child and he hasn’t been in and around the rooms.

“But I’ll certainly take that up with him and have a chat to him. We’ve got a really good relationship with him so if he’s seeing something I’m not I’ll definitely have that conversation.

“I don’t think that (is the case) at all. Anyone inside our tent at the moment would say, despite our results, we’re an incredibly tight-knit unit.

“There’s every opportunity when you’re losing to splinter and go other ways but I can only say from my opinion that the group has been incredibly strong.

“You see our training sessions and they are full of fun, people are putting their arms around each other trying to help them. It’s easy to do that when you’re winning but a lot harder when you’re losing and I’m proud we just keep trying to get up.”

Chris Woakes also stood up for the unity of the squad, telling Sky: “I can firmly say there is nothing wrong with the dressing room.”

Regardless of morale, there is no disguising just how badly things have gone for an England side who arrived as close second favourites and have since put together their worst ever run of form in a chequered history at the World Cup.

Things have got so bad that they have played their way into potentially missing out on a place at the next major 50-over global competition.

It has come to light that places at the 2025 Champions Trophy will be allocated based on performances in this competition, with hosts Pakistan joined by the seven highest finishers.

With three matches to go England sit in 10th spot, behind both the Netherlands and Bangladesh.

Remarkably, Mott admitted he was not aware the qualification process had moved away from its previous link to world rankings until media reports which landed midway through the India defeat.

The decision was ratified by the ICC board in November 2021, when the England and Wales Cricket Board was being led by previous chief executive Tom Harrison, but the information appears to have been waylaid in transition.

Asked in his post-match press conference when he learned about the potential Champions Trophy issue, Mott said: “About an hour-and-a-half ago.

“The ICC do change the rules quite a bit with qualification but to be honest I don’t think it would affect in any way the way we’ve played in this tournament, so it’s not a big deal.

“It’s plenty of motivation for us to pick ourselves back up off the canvas and keep trying to throw punches. It gives us a lot of focus that we need to make sure we can’t just ‘turn up’. We’ve got to win these games.”

Philippe Clement believes his Rangers side answered his questions about their mettle in the last-gasp 2-1 win over Hearts which cut Celtic’s lead at the cinch Premiership summit to five points.

Jambos captain Lawrence Shankland gave the visitors the lead after five minutes before home skipper James Tavernier smacked the post with a penalty at the end of the first half after Toby Sibbick’s foul on Todd Cantwell.

Gers midfielder Nicolas Raskin was taken from the field on a stretcher after sustaining an injury in shooting after the break but the game ended on a high for the Light Blues, under the tutelage of Clement for the third time.

The hosts were awarded a second spot-kick in the 90th minute for a Peter Haring foul on Connor Goldson after a VAR check by referee John Beaton, and this time Tavernier slammed it in, with substitute Danilo completing the turnaround by heading home the winner in the third of nine added minutes.

“I am curious if there comes a moment, and it always comes, where the scenario is not going our way, how they would react,” Clement said after the match. “Clearly they had the reaction that I wanted.

“Our strength needs to be that whatever happens in football, we never give up and we keep on repeating what we are doing because they are doing already good things together.

“Of course we need to still make better a lot of details but if we show the right mentality over and over again in every action and in the reaction afterwards then we are a really good team.

“That is what we showed together, not with 11 but with the whole squad, also the players who came in to give this energy.”

The Belgian continued: “Was it perfect? No. But for me it is a reference game in the way that they have seen if they never give up a lot of good things can happen.

“It is not a guarantee that you win every game because not even the best teams in the world manage to do that but we are going to win much more games than we have done until now. It is a big step forward for me and in that way Tav was an example today.

“Missing the penalty, getting the stick because of that, that moment you can lose confidence, you can go down, you can stop taking responsibility.

“But he took the second penalty, he scored it and afterwards he gave the assist for the second goal.

“I want to see a lot of players with that mentality in my dressing room.”

Hearts boss Steven Naismith had his own question marks over both penalties.

The former Rangers striker said: “The game hinges on the penalty decision. I don’t think it is a penalty.

“At every corner there was blocking, where Rangers players were not even interested in the ball. All they are doing is looking at our man, blocking our player.

“I spoke to officials during the game who said if that happened and it was given as a goal, it would be given as a foul.

“Lo and behold, at the end of the game there is a clear block on our man.

“John Lundstram is not even interested in the ball, all he is doing is looking at our player and he blocks him and then it is given by VAR.

“I spoke to the referee who said he never gets shown any video footage of any block happening. He said it (video) didn’t go that far back but it is pretty obvious.

“Clear blocking, clear obstruction, it should be our foul.

“VAR should see there is a foul happened before the two players (Haring and Goldson) make contact.

“Then the penalty in the first half. There is two minutes added on and that is given in the 48th minute. Small details can have a big impact.”

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp said preparation for Sunday’s 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”.

Reds forward Luis Diaz did not feature in the Premier League clash at Anfield after reports that his parents had been kidnapped in Colombia and Klopp said the player had returned home to be with family members.

Liverpool confirmed an “ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz” earlier on Sunday and Colombia’s president said Diaz’s mother “has been rescued” but his father remains missing.

Klopp said: “The game preparation was the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life. I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it.

“I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help.

“So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.”

Liverpool secured their fifth straight home Premier League win to move three points behind leaders Tottenham.

But Klopp said: “How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I’ve never struggled with that in my life.

“We heard late last night about it. We spoke to Luis, he wanted to go home…Then we got the news with his mum, which is fantastic, and since then nothing really.

“We are obviously the first people to get involved and we try to have knowledge of everything as much as we can, but we don’t want to disturb in any way the important people there, we just want to support, that’s it.”

Liverpool said in a statement that they were supporting the player. It read: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia.

“It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”

Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.”

The country’s football federation said in a statement that the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to rescue Diaz’s father.

“The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through,” they said.

“From the FCF we express our solidarity with him and his entire family and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.”

Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons.

The 26-year-old winger has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals.

Diaz was an unused substitute for Thursday’s 5-1 Europa League win against Toulouse after starting the Premier League victory over Everton last weekend.

He was not in the 18-strong squad that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp named for Forest’s Premier League visit to Anfield.

Dual Group One winner Shaquille has been retired from racing and will stand at Dullingham Park Stud.

Trained by Julie Camacho, the three-year-old won seven of his nine career starts, highlighted by victories in both the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.

Shaquille then tried to bring up his Group One hat-trick in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, but having raced keenly, he dropped away to finish last of the 16 runners.

A planned run on Champions Day was abandoned after the Charm Spirit colt failed to satisfy the Camacho team in his final spin and he now bows out as the winner of over £782,000 in prize money.

Camacho, who is assisted by her husband Steve Brown, tweeted: “Shaquille was a gentleman at home and came alive on the racecourse. He gave us the best days of our racing lives managing to both outsprint and outstay his rivals to win two Group Ones this season.

“His outstanding looks and ability have been there for all to see and in our 50 years in the industry we have not seen a horse like him.

“We are grateful to his owner/breeder Martin Hughes for allowing us to raise and train him. We were so lucky to experience his ability and look forward to seeing his progeny.”

Shaquille will be the first stallion to stand at Steve Parkin’s Dullingham Park, which is near Newmarket.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said there was still room for improvement after his side cruised to a 3-0 home Premier League win against Nottingham Forest.

Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez scored within the space of four minutes before the interval to put Liverpool in control and Mohamed Salah struck his eighth league goal of the season in the second half.

Klopp’s side made it five wins from as many league games at Anfield this season – their eighth in a row in all competitions – and sit three points behind leaders Tottenham.

Klopp said: “If you’re chasing a game it’s obviously a completely different task, but if you are in complete control you should stay in control.

“The last five minutes I think before half-time, all of a sudden we were a bit too deep and they just could chip the balls there and these are moments we have to improve, clearly.

“In creative situations you can always improve because the boys have a lot of potential and we have to use it fully.”

Once Liverpool broke the deadlock there was no way back for injury-hit Forest, but Klopp still remains wary of his side’s ability to protect a lead in front of their own fans.

“You might remember three or four years ago, all of a sudden we became slightly more dominant and were leading at home and always came under pressure,” he said.

“Like one-nil up meant nothing. Everybody thought ‘Oh my god, 1-0, 10 minutes to go!’ Maybe they saw the equaliser coming and that’s the situation you have to grow into and the boys showed wonderful signs in all aspects.

“That’s now something we have to learn again because the key positions are obviously occupied by different players than that time, up front, midfield, last line.

“So that’s the space for improvement. Creating without losing the compactness is pretty much the idea.”

Forest’s winless league run was extended to six league games and head coach Steve Cooper admitted it had been a torrid 90 minutes.

He said: “For sure it is a tough afternoon. Coming into the game, you know you have to play really well and commit to a plan in order to get some success in the game.

“We were forced into some player selection, formation and plans through the unfortunate situation with attacking players. We had to go with a couple of players out of position.”

Cooper was without a recognised central striker after Chris Wood (hamstring) was a late withdrawal, with Taiwo Awoniyi returning to the bench after a groin injury.

“We only had one player who could play as a number nine in Anthony (Elanga),” Cooper added.

“It’s a position which is a little bit foreign to him anyway and two days ago we didn’t think he would be available because of illness.”

Erling Haaland’s double helped Manchester City secure derby day delight as lifeless rivals Manchester United were outclassed in an embarrassing home defeat.

The eyes of the footballing world were on Old Trafford as the neighbours met in the 191st Manchester derby and first since Pep Guardiola’s men matched their 1999 treble triumph.

Haaland scored a spot-kick and unmarked header before playing in Phil Foden to wrap up 3-0 victory, yet City’s dominance was far greater than the scoreline suggests.

It was an abrupt end to an unconvincing three-match winning run in all competitions for Erik ten Hag’s United, who have now lost five of their 10 opening Premier League games.

Haaland put City ahead midway through the first half from a penalty awarded after the VAR spotted a supposed Rasmus Hojlund tug on Rodri.

Ragtag defending allowed Haaland to head home another in a one-sided win that Foden added late gloss to.

It would have been worse was it not for Andre Onana’s saves on a day when United fans booed Ten Hag’s decision to replace Hojlund.

It was an ugly end to an emotional week for United, who again remembered the late, great Sir Bobby Charlton on Sunday.

Those clad in red and blue applauded in unity before a match that City dominated from the outset.

Just eight minutes were on the clock when Rodri’s diagonal ball was nodded back by Kyle Walker to Foden, who got away a powerful close-range header that Onana stopped.

The ball looped up and would have been bundled home by Haaland was it not for the goalkeeper’s reactions.

It was a let-off and Onana denied Jack Grealish before City were awarded a penalty.

VAR Michael Oliver instructed Paul Tierney to go to the pitchside monitor to review a potential pull by Hojlund on Rodri when a free-kick came over.

The referee eventually pointed to spot and Haaland kept his cool, sending Onana the wrong way and wheeling off in celebration in front of the furious home fans.

That 26th minute gut punch emboldened City and hushed the Old Trafford faithful, leading to tongue-in-cheek chants from away fans comparing the atmosphere to the Etihad Stadium.

City were dominant for the remainder of the opening period as they pushed for a second few could argue with, but United had two big opportunities to level.

First Hojlund roared onto a loose ball and rounded Ederson, before eventually cutting back for Bruno Fernandes to laser over.

In hindsight, the young striker may wish he had gone down after John Stones’ physical defending in the build-up.

United went closer still in stoppage time as Marcus Rashford’s first-time sweeping ball put Scott McTominay behind to take a touch and get away a strike tipped over by Ederson.

That moment increased the volume inside Old Trafford, as did Onana’s outstanding reaction save from Haaland’s close-range header.

It looked like a potentially game-changing moment, but the City sharpshooter would not be denied a second for long.

After Fernandes and Foden traded efforts, the visitors capitalised on United’s poor defensive structure and Bernardo Silva clipped a cross to unmarked Haaland to head home at the far post.

“Mind the gap, Man United” chanted the pocket of elated City fans, who saw Onana prevent Grealish from adding to the 49th-minute header.

The England attacking midfielder sent over a cross-shot as Haaland went down claiming a penalty as the away fans continued to make themselves heard.

A brief flicker of United hope quickly faded as Rashford’s smart touch and strike went across the face of goal, before City returned to the attack.

Onana spread himself well to stop Haaland wrapping up his hat-trick before Ten Hag’s decision to replace Hojlund with Garnacho was met by widespread boos.

Grealish saw a deflected shot fly wide before Onana was eventually beaten again in the 80th minute.

Haaland was the provider this time around. Rodri’s shot was pushed by Onana into the path of the striker, who passed in for Foden to score.

The goalscorer tried to add an overhead kick as some United fans headed for any early exit. Given their side’s poor performance, few could blame them. All they missed was petulance as the clock wound down.

A familiar name could prove the biggest threat to Inspiral in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, as Fev Rover attempts to exert her recent dominance in North America at Santa Anita.

A winner of the Star Stakes and a Deauville Group Two when trained by Richard Fahey, the daughter of Gutaifan also placed in the 2021 edition of the 1000 Guineas during her time racing in Britain.

Sold to Tracy Farmer for 695,000 guineas at the end of that year, Fev Rover joined Mark Casse and the mare has improved with age, culminating in some stellar displays this season.

Having kicked off her five-year-old campaign with victory in Woodbine’s Nassau Stakes, she added Grade One triumphs in both the Beverly D Stakes and when accounting for Charlie Appleby’s With The Moonlight in the E.P Taylor Stakes and now finds herself as short as 7-1 with some British bookmakers for Breeders’ Cup glory.

Casse of course is no stranger to beating the Europeans on turf having saddled Tepin to strike at Royal Ascot in 2016 and the Hall Of Fame handler believes Fev Rover has all the right qualities to thrive around the tight turns of the famous California venue.

“I think Fev Rover has a big chance and she is training well,” said Casse.

“It looks like a real international race and obviously it is not going to be easy, but she is doing well and as far as things in North America go, she has kind of stamped herself as one of the better turf horses, that’s for sure.

“Her race at Saratoga was very good in the Diana (Stakes) and of course she won Beverley D. Both of those were around similar type turns and one thing about her, and I think it is one of the reasons why she is pretty good, is she is very versatile.

“If there is no speed she can go to the lead and if there is speed she can sit off them. She kind of makes her own race which is nice, she is not dependant on others.”

Fev Rover’s fine season could not only see her provide her decorated handler with a seventh victory at the Breeders’ Cup, but has also put the mare in prime position to be named Canadian Horse of the Year.

That is an accolade Casse feels would be fully justified having seen the mare mature into the full package this term.

“Looking at everyone’s accomplishments, as of today, she would be the favourite for horse of the year,” added the trainer.

“The only thing would be if one of the Canadian horses won at the Breeders’ Cup, that might hurt her chances.

“She has really grown up. Her physique and everything changed a lot from four to five and she’s a really stout filly now. She has just got really good and her behaviour is much better. She could misbehave some times but as she’s got older, she has got a little smarter about that.”

The Filly & Mare Turf last went to a North American-trained contender in 2018 and joining John and Thady Gosden’s Inspiral for the journey across the Atlantic is Aidan O’Brien’s Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille heroine Warm Heart along with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Lumiere Rock and State Occasion for Ralph Beckett.

Casse is predicting that fearsome contingent of raiders – as well as Japanese candidate Win Marilyn – to once again present a stern challenge, but the experienced handler prefers to concentrate solely on the prospects of Fev Rover and seeing her pony to post in the best possible shape.

“I’m worried about six or seven of them! I’m sure the Euros will be tough, they always are,” he said when asked about the opposition.

“But in all honesty though, I kind of just worry about my own horse. There is nothing I can do about the competition so I don’t fret about it. I figure it is what it is and we have to try to beat them.”

Roberto De Zerbi was frustrated with Brighton’s 1-1 draw against Fulham but insisted there were positives to their performance at Amex Stadium.

Joao Palhinha’s stunning 65th-minute equaliser cancelled out Evan Ferguson’s opener as Fulham fought to earn a point on the road.

And De Zerbi believes the Seagulls lacked a cutting edge on a day where they rued missed first-half opportunities.

“I am really frustrated and disappointed with the result,” De Zerbi said.

“I think we played a great game, especially three days after the Ajax game at home (a 2-0 win in the Europa League). It was a fantastic first half but we could have scored more.

“In the second half we played well. We conceded a goal only in one moment and when we lost distances we lost balance and then there was only one team on the pitch (Fulham).

“Last season we lost three points against Fulham and this season we dropped another two points and we are frustrated with the result.”

Ireland international Ferguson scored Brighton’s opener with a quality finish past goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the bottom corner.

But boss De Zerbi insisted his striker is not playing at his full capacity despite scoring five times in 10 appearances in the Premier League.

He added: “Ferguson is not in his best moment but he’s a different player for us and a different type of striker we have in the squad and I think he could play better but he’s not in the best moment, he played a good game.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva believes Fulham were not at their best and showed Brighton “too much respect”.

He said: “In the first half we did not reach the standards we should if we want to compete at this level. We were not sharp enough to play the way we would like to play.

“We were not aggressive and showed them too much respect. They won most of the challenges and we were not at the level with the pressure.

“They won most of the second balls, we cannot be erratic if we want to play under pressure and make the right decisions. The goal we conceded is a good example and we have to make better decisions and be less erratic.

“I have to give credit to the players in the second half in the way they believed and they expressed themselves on the pitch.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery believes his side can be top-four contenders this season if they continue their remarkable progression.

Villa have improved exponentially under the Spaniard’s regime and posted a 12th successive Premier League home win after they beat Luton 3-1 at Villa Park.

Goals from John McGinn and Moussa Diaby gave them the upper hand before Luton captain Tom Lockyer put through his own net. An Emiliano Martinez own goal got Luton on the scoresheet in the final 10 minutes, but it was Villa’s afternoon.

They have lost twice this season – to Newcastle and Liverpool – and Emery wants his side to keep improving.

“You have to be very demanding and focus each on match,” he said of his side’s chances.

“We are winning matches because we are being very focused, we are being very demanding in our defensive structure, we are trying to build a team with high commitment.

“We are between another seven teams, they show their power consistently. But if we are working like that and doing this process, being demanding, being strong, of course we can progress and still keep the moment we have now in the table.

“I want to face each match being focused, preparing properly and being demanding.

“We have played Liverpool and Newcastle and they were better than us. When we lost against Liverpool and Newcastle, I told the players I want to reduce the distance they showed when they come here.”

They have not lost on home soil since they lost 4-2 to Arsenal on February 18, but Emery thinks there is more to come.

“There is still a lot of work to do and still a lot of things we can improve.

“Tactically, try to be more consistent for 90 minutes. I am very happy but I think there are things that can improve,” he added.

Luton boss Rob Edwards knows that his side’s season will not be judged on games like this.

“Let’s be honest, today was a difficult afternoon for us. There is a gulf between the two teams, at the moment Aston Villa are an exceptional team, in a great moment, confident, brilliant manager and very good players. At 3-0 down with 30 minutes to go I’m on the touchline thinking, ‘This is difficult’.

“I’m really pleased with how the players stayed in it, stayed committed, that was important. It’s important the fans can see we never ever give in and stick at it.

“It was a difficult afternoon but proud of how we stuck to the task.

“Today wasn’t going to define us, we know that, we are in a different battle to Aston Villa at the moment, there is a difference in the teams, but we have to learn from it.

“I want to make us better and me better.”

Inthewaterside could be set for a step up in class after emerging victorious in the Jewson Birkenhead, Price Street Maiden Hurdle at Aintree.

Sent off the 4-7 favourite for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Harry Cobden, Inthewaterside was made to work hard for his prize, with Jagwar pushing him all the way to the line before being beaten just a head.

The Ditcheat handler could now raise his sights with the five-year-old, who also won each of his two bumper starts last term.

Nicholls said: “He was a bit keen and he did well to win pulling as hard as he did. There is plenty of improvement in him.

“That bit of experience will have done him the world of good, but you can see he is ultimately going to be a chaser.

“I’d half had in my mind to have a look at the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park with him. He is not a horse you want to run too much. I would not be averse to dropping back to two miles as he is not short of speed.

“It was probably not a bad race, but he has done well winning it considering he did everything the wrong way round.”

Cobden later completed a double aboard the Joe Tizzard-trained Sunset Marquesa (12-1) in the Jewson Southport, Bispham Road EBF Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Elizabeth Gale steered Celebre D’Allen (3-1 favourite) to a clear-cut victory in the Jewson Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase.

The 10lb-claimer was enjoying the biggest success of her fledging career less than three years after recovering from breaking two vertebrae in a point-to-point fall.

Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, Celebre D’Allen made steady progress through the field to grab the lead before the penultimate fence and cost home by 16 lengths – his first win since February 2022.

Gale said: “It was easier than I thought it was going to be that’s for sure. He gave me a beautiful ride around. It was his first run of the season since running in the Topham, so the aim was to just get him jumping really. He is an 11-year-old and he has seen it out beautifully.

“I used to come here as a kid with pony club and I never thought I would be walking down those steps. It is a massive deal for me, especially to ride a winner here.

“I’ve had a long road to get here and anything I get is a bonus. A massive thanks to the governor and Johnson White. I’ve been there four seasons and I missed a good bit through injury, but I can’t complain as they look after me.”

Equinus (5-2 favourite) kicked off a double for Nigel Twiston-Davies in the opening Jewson Click And Collect Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, with jockey James Turner guiding him to a five-length win.

Twiston-Davies then teamed up with his son Sam to take the Jewson St Helens Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase with Master Chewy (2-1).

Following his 12-length win, Master Chewy could now head for the Grade Two SSS Super Alloys Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on November 17.

The winning trainer said: “That was just excellent. He has always been superb over them (fences) at home. The future is bright. I think we will have to look at proper novice chase races.

“Very possibly we could go to Cheltenham for the two-mile novices’ chase there, why not.”

Crambo (11-8 favourite) made the most of a drop in class when claiming a cosy two-and-a-quarter-length verdict in the Jewson Handicap Hurdle.

He failed to sparkle in Grade One company at the Grand National meeting back in April, but moved to handicap company by trainer Fergal O’Brien, Crambo was far from extended in the hands of Connor Brace.

Sally Randell, O’Brien’s assistant trainer, said: “That was great. He was unlucky here at the Grand National Festival. He got no kind of run, and he had a bit of bad luck. Back down in a handicap he has done it well.

“I think we will look at some of those nice staying handicaps now with him. Hopefully he might be a bit better than that.”

Substitute Danilo headed in a dramatic added-time winner against Hearts as Rangers won 2-1 to close the gap behind Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership to five points.

The league leaders dropped two points at Hibernian on Saturday but the Gers’ prospects of taking advantage dipped when Jambos skipper Lawrence Shankland gave the visitors the lead after five minutes with a stunning header.

The mood inside Ibrox was not helped when skipper James Tavernier smacked the post with a penalty at the end of the first half and there was more woe when midfielder Nicolas Raskin was taken from the field on a stretcher after sustaining an injury in shooting.

However, within final minutes of normal time Philippe Clement’s side were awarded a second penalty after a VAR check for a Peter Haring foul on Connor Goldson and this time Tavernier slammed the ball in and in added time Brazilian striker Danilo, on for Cyriel Dessers at the start of the second half, nodded in for a victory which had looked unlikely for most of the afternoon.

Clement had resisted the opportunity to make radical changes following the gruelling goalless Europa League draw against Sparta Prague on Thursday night.

Ridvan Yilmaz, ineligible for the game in Prague, was reinstated at left-back as Rangers returned to a back four, with John Souttar dropping out.

Steven Naismith brought in defender Odeluga Offiah and midfielders Beni Baningime and Jorge Grant with Cammy Devlin and Alan Forrest dropping to the bench, while on-loan midfielder Alex Lowry could  not play against his parent club, who were shocked by the loss of an early goal.

Wing-back Alex Cochrane took possession on the left and swung a right-footed cross into the Gers box and over the head of Yilmaz for Shankland to almost casually head past keeper Jack Butland.

It was the first goal lost under Clement and the home fans were not happy with the deficit or the reaction from Rangers.

In the 27th minute, following a corner from Tavernier which was met by Goldson, Shankland cleared Dessers’ effort from close range off the line.

However, moments later, the anger from the Ibrox stands when Hearts attacker Kenneth Vargas drove over the bar after taking a Shankland pass was unmistakeable.

Attacker Abdallah Sima headed a Yilmaz free-kick wide of the target in the 34th minute before Hearts’ Stephen Kingsley replaced injured Odel Offiah.

Rangers were handed a lifeline right before the break when referee John Beaton pointed to the spot when Jambos defender Toby Sibbick tripped Todd Cantwell inside the box.

Tavernier sent Tynecastle keeper Zander Clark the wrong way with his spot-kick but the ball rebounded off the post and Hearts kept their goal intact.

There were pointed cheers when Brazilian striker Danilo replaced Dessers for the start of the second half and initially the home side looked in a hurry.

Midfielder Sam Lammers flicked a Yilmaz cut-back over the bar in the 55th minute before Raskin hit the side netting with a drive which left him injured and replaced by attacker Scott Wright.

Hearts remained resolute under constant pressure.

A 20-yard drive from Rangers midfielder John Lundstram escaped the far post, as did an effort from Tavernier but when Beaton was sent to check his pitchside monitor by VAR, he judged substitute Haring to have tugged Goldson’s shirt at a corner.

Tavernier drove in the penalty to level but there was more drama to come in the third of nine added minutes when Danilo rose at the back post to head in a Tavernier cross – suddenly all was well inside Ibrox.

Tyson Fury has been backed to defeat Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweights finally meet in their highly anticipated bout.

Fury and Usyk are set to meet in a fight that is tentatively scheduled for early 2024.

Widely considered as the world's leading heavyweight, Fury was pushed to the limit by UFC brawler-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.

Indeed, Fury was fortunate to come away with a win, with two judges deciding in his favour.

Ryan Garcia, who is set to fight Oscar Duarte in December, believes the undefeated Fury will still have too much for Usyk, though.

"The Gypsy King, that's it," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"He's the best, the Gypsy King is an unbelievable talent. And he has an amazing personality. He's super, super cool."

Fury's meeting with Usyk will quench a long-held thirst, though despite years of posturing, a battle of the Britons between the 35-year-old and Anthony Joshua is yet to take place.

"I'll be excited to see him versus Anthony Joshua one day, I would want to go to that one that will be huge," Garcia said.

"And that’s the one I would actually be looking forward to more [than Fury v Usyk], to be honest."

Fury, for his part, was honest in his appraisal of his own performance against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

"He's given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years," Fury said. "Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be.

"He's a very awkward man and he's a good puncher and I respect him a lot."

Fury and Usyk bumped into each other in Riyadh prior to Saturday's fight, with the pair sharing an embrace.

And the duo faced off in the ring following the bout, with Fury saying:  "Let's go,"

Usyk added: "Let's go. I'm going to be fighting him, amazing."