Canberra Legend and Deauville Legend look set to lead trainer James Ferguson’s small but select team into battle at Royal Ascot next week.

The Newmarket handler had Classic aspirations for Canberra Legend following his victory in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in April, but a disappointing run in last month’s Dante at York led to connections deciding against a tilt at Derby glory.

The Australia colt has instead been kept fresh for the Royal meeting, with the King Edward VII Stakes viewed as his most likely target.

“Canberra Legend showed his class in the Feilden and showed that the further he was going, the better he was going,” Ferguson told Sky Sports Racing.

“We’ve put a line through the Dante at York. He showed his inexperience, it was a big occasion, hopefully he’s grown up and learned from it.

“From the minute he went down to the start, I think we knew it was not going to be his day and we move on. We’ve taken him for an away-day at Chelmsford and he’s shown me all the right signs at home that we’ve got him back to where we were with the Feilden.

“He’ll be entered in the King Edward and the Hampton Court. We’re probably lining him up for the mile-and-a-half option to be honest and I’d say he’s going there with a real live chance.”

Deauville Legend was narrowly denied in the King George V Stakes at last year’s big meeting, after which he went on to win the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket and the Great Voltigeur at York before rounding off his campaign by finishing fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

The son of Sea The Stars is set to make his four-year-old debut in what looks a strong renewal of the Hardwicke Stakes, but Ferguson is pleased with his condition.

He added: “He’s in great order and we’re really looking forward to getting him back out.

“We’ve been very patient with him. We decided to give him a bit of a break after his international travel for the Melbourne Cup, where he ran very well on ground which went very soft and he probably didn’t stay the two miles with the weight he was given.

“He lost nothing in defeat and the way he won the Voltigeur shows that from the older horse category over a mile and a half, he’s one of the best around.

“He’ll be going to the Hardwicke, which is a hard place to start your campaign if Hukum and Pyledriver go there, but I certainly think he’s capable of competing at that grade.

“I’m fairly confident we’ve got him fit enough to go the races, but whatever we see from him, he will come on for the run I’m sure.”

The trainer’s Ascot squad also includes impressive Doncaster handicap winner Wonder Legend, who will bid to go one better than Deauville Legend in the King George V Stakes.

“He showed his true class over further (at Doncaster), so we’re going in off 94 and stepping up to a mile and a half,” said Ferguson.

“You’ve got to have a Group horse to win these handicaps and I feel we’re going in with one. I’d like to think he’s better than his mark and can go on to bigger and better things after this race.”

Land Legend also has the King George option, but is more likely to step up in distance and class for the Queen’s Vase, while Ferguson considers his Greenham Stakes fourth Zoology as a serious contender for the Jersey Stakes.

He added: “I think Land Legend is crying out for a mile and six furlongs. The Queen’s Vase is going to be a very competitive race and he’s probably on a low enough mark where he could be competitive in a handicap, but I do think the extra two furlongs will bring out a lot more in him.

“Zoology ran very well in the Greenham and he’s a super horse. I really like him, he’s genuine and he’s honest and I really don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of him.

“He ran well in the Greenham on ground that was fairly unsuitable for him. I’d like to think on a flat track and a good surface we’ll see a massive improvement from him.

“I’d be very hopeful he can go and run a big race.”

Northern Ireland resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on Friday night when they face Denmark in Copenhagen.

Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the Group H fixture.

The hardest task?

On paper, Friday’s match is the toughest on Northern Ireland’s fixture list, away to the top seed in the group. Denmark’s squad boasts elite-level talent and rich experience in every department. The likes of Christian Eriksen, Simon Kjaer, and Andreas Christensen have been operating at the top level for years, while in 20-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund they have one of the hottest properties in European football. But Denmark are coming off a shock defeat away to Kazakhstan in March, showing they are far from infallible.

Bouncebackability

Northern Ireland need to get back on track themselves after a 1-0 home defeat to Finland last time out dampened spirits. That loss, in Michael O’Neill’s first home game in charge since his return to the job in December, was a reality check after the away win in San Marino a few days earlier, and made clear that even if Northern Ireland have been handed a relatively favourable draw for this qualifying campaign, they still face an uphill task to get out of Group H.

Injuries still biting

O’Neill has been able to welcome back Jonny Evans, Ali McCann and Shayne Lavery after they missed the March window through injury, but the likes of Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Shane Ferguson and Josh Magennis remain out, robbing O’Neill of vital experience. Northern Ireland’s squad includes five uncapped players, and 15 of the 28 have fewer than 10 caps to their name. The Parken Stadium is known for a raucous atmosphere and could be an intimidating place for Northern Ireland’s younger players.

Premier League exits

Evans has come into the international window still dealing with the disappointment of Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League – not to mention an uncertain future with his contract up for renewal. With Dallas’ Leeds having also suffered the drop, Premier League players are thin on the ground in the squad. Jamal Lewis has barely kicked a ball for Newcastle in the past season, while Manchester City youngster Shea Charles only made his senior debut off the bench last month. Bailey Peacock-Farrell is back in the top flight with Burnley but remains in a back-up role at club level. O’Neill has admitted it may be a long time before he can call on several Premier League players again.

Bradley vs Hume?

Conor Bradley was once again one of the brightest sparks in the Northern Ireland squad in March and should feature prominently again. Meanwhile, Trai Hume excelled in Sunderland’s promotion push. The problem for O’Neill is that both players, among Northern Ireland’s brightest prospects, are natural right-backs. Bradley looks stronger going forward while Hume has played across the back four for Sunderland this season, so a way of getting both players into the side can hopefully be found.

Premiership Rugby has launched a Sporting Commission in what chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor believes is “a landmark moment” for the organisation.

The seven-strong group will be chaired by Nigel Melville and includes former England captain Tom Wood.

Massie-Taylor and Premiership Rugby’s rugby director Phil Winstanley, meanwhile, will be joined by Women in Football director Jane Purdon, Ministry of Justice board member Mark Rawlinson and financial services executive Carys Williams.

As part of its remit, the commission will now rule over matters such as season structure, Premiership Rugby regulations and player-loading.

It will also have full delegated authority from the Premiership Rugby board to decide on matters relating to sporting and regulatory issues, as well as impose sanctions in accordance with Premiership Rugby regulations.

The move comes after the most damaging season in Premiership history saw three clubs – Wasps, Worcester and London Irish – enter administration.

A 13-club league less than a year ago now stands at 10 teams, with the commission, which has decision-making powers, set to transform Premiership Rugby’s operations.

PRL said the commission’s objectives included that decision-making on sporting and regulatory matters “operates in the best interests of the league as a whole and independent from the clubs.”

Massie-Taylor said: “Launching the Sporting Commission is a landmark moment for Premiership Rugby as we transform our ways of working.

“Improving our governance structures with independent thinking and scrutiny is key to strong foundations and our future success.

“Having already met as a group, it is clear that the energy and expertise of our independent experts will help Premiership Rugby deliver change.”

And Melville, who is also chairman of Premiership Rugby’s investor board, added: “Putting together this innovative new group has been possible thanks to the efforts and support of our Premiership Rugby clubs.

“Our goal has always been to strengthen our governance and make internal decision-making more agile, whilst also bringing about greater independence to any contentious issues.”

The commission will meet eight times a year or more, and provide a quarterly update to the investor board.

Eldar Eldarov will be bidding for a second successive Royal Ascot success in next week’s Gold Cup following his narrow verdict in the Queen’s Vase 12 months ago.

Roger Varian’s four-year-old also claimed the St Leger in a fruitful season and returned to action in the Yorkshire Cup when narrowly failing to reel in Giavellotto, to whom he was conceding 5lb.

He will be running over a trip further than two miles for the first time in his career at Ascot, but that is the only question mark regarding a horse who has won on quick and slow ground and could potentially even improve for racing over further.

“He ran well at York and has done everything right since,” said Chris Wall, former trainer and now racing manager to owners KHK Racing.

“Obviously he is going into the unknown over that distance but he’s nothing but a competitor, he’s a tough horse, he likes the challenge and if he gets the trip I think he’s going to be a player.

“Roger is very happy with how everything is so it’s fingers crossed, really.

“Four-year-olds have a great record in the Gold Cup and while the trip is the unknown, he certainly gives the impression that he will stay those distances well.

“His work at home has been very satisfactory, he looks well, so we’ll just keep everything crossed that he puts up a good performance.

“We’re not too worried about the ground. I suppose like everybody we’d like a little bit of juice, so a few showers wouldn’t go amiss but he’s proved he’s effective on any ground, so we’re looking forward to it.”

The owners also hold leading claims in the Commonwealth Cup with Sakheer, the Mill Reef winner who finished seventh on soft ground in the 2000 Guineas.

“He must have a good chance. It was hard to tell whether he stayed a mile on that awful ground in the Guineas, but he acquitted himself well,” said Wall.

“He’s done nothing wrong in his preparation either, so we’ll go there and hope for the best and hope he goes and runs a good race.

“He’s going to have to prove himself exceptional if he’s going to beat Little Big Bear I think, but we’ll see how we go.”

Newcastle United are a "really big team" that deserve success, so says Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Magpies have had a transformative 20 months since they were taken over by a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) in late 2021.

Under Eddie Howe's tutelage, Newcastle went from bottom of the Premier League at the start of 2022, to qualifying for the Champions League in under 18 months.

Wijnaldum spent a season with Newcastle in 2015-16 before he moved to Liverpool, and the Netherlands international hopes for the best for his old club.

"Really happy because Newcastle's a really big team," the midfielder told reporters after the Netherlands' Nations League loss to Croatia.

"I think a lot of people underestimate how big the club is and how loyal their supporters are.

"When I was there, I saw how hard they were trying to get results and to finish as high as possible and also the fans, who were standing by the team were amazing.

"So I think they deserve it. How they managed it throughout the years. I think they deserve how it is going right now."

Switching focus to his own future, Wijnaldum – who spent the season on loan at Roma from Paris Saint-Germain, but suffered a tibia fracture at the start of the campaign – conceded he is unsure over his next move.

"I don't know [what will happen]. I think it will be a surprise for everyone and also for me," he said.

"I just see what's going to happen and what options I will get and then you're going to see what's going to happen."

Manchester City’s opening-day reunion with Vincent Kompany and Burnley forms part of a friendly-looking start to the Premier League season for the treble-winners.

The top-flight fixture schedule was released on Thursday morning, with Kompany’s side hosting City on August 11 in the opening match of the 2023-24 season.

While clubs will all play each other twice over the course of the campaign, the ordering of the matches can have a significant impact on their fortunes.

 To help unravel next season’s fixtures, the PA news agency has analysed the entire schedule using an aggregation of leading bookmakers’ odds and identified the most notable runs.

Soft start for City?

Using the aggregated odds to produce a projected league table, City – who top those standings ahead of Liverpool and then Arsenal – play only one of the projected top six in their first seven games.

Their first three games also include a second promoted side, Sheffield United, sandwiching a fixture against Newcastle – tipped to follow up their Champions League qualification by finishing fifth and facing City as part of a tricky first four games on paper.

Fulham, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Wolves follow, with only the Hammers projected to finish in the top half.

Those four sides recur in a similarly tame run-in, at least after April 20’s trip to Tottenham, and the festive period has also been kind. Teams are set to play seven games in December and City face Spurs, Aston Villa, Luton, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Everton and the Blades.

The one concerning stretch of City’s season comes in March, when successive games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton and Arsenal coincide with Champions League commitments.

Coming up

Kompany’s side back up the City clash by travelling to fellow promoted side Luton.

Villa, Spurs and Forest follow before consecutive games loom against Champions League challengers Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea.

Sheffield United open up against Palace and Forest before their own date with City, while Luton travel to Brighton and Chelsea either side of the Burnley clash.

The end-of-season run-in pits the Hatters against exclusively mid-table sides in the projected standings in Brentford, Wolves, Everton, West Ham and Fulham – perhaps preferable to facing teams fighting for their lives at that stage.

Burnley and the Blades meet at Bramall Lane in their 34th game before each facing Forest, Newcastle and Tottenham in their last four – United also take on Everton while Burnley play Manchester United.

Meet the new boss

London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham will go into the season under new management, with Mauricio Pochettino crossing the divide to take over at Stamford Bridge.

While his first assignment is at home to Liverpool, the Blues otherwise have a reasonably appealing start – West Ham follow before successive games against Luton, Forest and Bournemouth.

Spurs, under new boss Ange Postecoglou, open up at Brentford before hosting Manchester United. Bournemouth, Burnley and Sheffield United follow in succession before the Australian’s sternest early test with Arsenal and Liverpool back to back.

He will face a tricky run-in though, with the home derby against the Gunners sandwiched between Manchester City and Liverpool, and Newcastle before that run for good measure. Burnley and the Blades may provide some late respite.

Toney’s timing

City, Chelsea and Spurs have the easiest first six games on paper, with Brentford among the next group in a potentially important boost while star striker Ivan Toney serves a betting ban.

Spurs and Newcastle are the toughest tests as they also face Fulham, Palace, Bournemouth and Everton while adjusting to life without Toney. He will be eligible to return at Tottenham on January 30, just in time to also face City and Liverpool in a run of 11 games, nine of them against projected top-half finishers.

The toughest start on paper belongs to Bournemouth, who face West Ham, Liverpool, Tottenham, Brentford, Chelsea, Brighton and then Arsenal.

The Cherries are hardly paid back in the run-in, with their final six games against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brighton, Arsenal, Brentford and Chelsea – Gary O’Neil may have his work cut out to repeat last season’s impressive survival act.

Golf’s controversial new partnership is in for an “uncomfortable ride” and may face lengthy and costly legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions, a competition lawyer has said.

The PGA Tour announced last week it was creating a new commercial entity with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a move it said would “unify golf” and which brought an end to a legal dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a series backed by PIF.

Concerns have already been raised about whether the new deal may fall foul of competition law. The United States Senate has already opened an investigation into it, with Senator Richard Blumenthal writing to PGA Tour chief executive Jay Monahan to say that the PGA Tour’s “sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf” raised “serious questions”.

The PGA Tour insists this agreement is not a merger, and that the deal did not mean PIF now owned the PGA Tour. Instead, it says PIF will be investing in this new subsidiary of the PGA Tour, with the PGA Tour retaining majority ownership and control.

However, Andrew Evans, a partner at the law firm Irwin Mitchell, believes there are a number of hurdles for the new venture to overcome.

“Even though the structure for the PGA Tour/LIV merger is not known at present, competition law, or antitrust law as it is also known, tends to look at the economic impact of a merger regardless of the legal form it takes,” he told the PA news agency.

“So structuring the merger in a particular way, referring to it is a partnership etc will not hugely affect the analysis from a competition law perspective.”

In the United Kingdom mergers are the responsibility of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), while, in the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) are the bodies responsible.

However, Evans believes the global nature of golf at a commercial level means many more jurisdictions may take a look.

“For a worldwide business such as PGA Tour and LIV Golf there is lots of potential for regulators in many different jurisdictions to get involved and investigate the merger and, in a worst-case scenario, block the merger,” he said.

“Whilst there is little granular detail about how the merger will work and be implemented, hopefully the parties have already sought and obtained merger control advice.

“Even if they have, they may be in for an uncomfortable ride in some jurisdictions around the world before the merger, if cleared, is allowed to proceed.

“Merger investigations can also be very time-consuming and costly, with the full processes taking many months and potentially more than a year to conclude in some jurisdictions.”

Evans said regulators will be concerned about the “downstream” and “upstream” impacts on competition that the deal might create.

“Downstream” impacts might include the impact on broadcasters seeking to buy television rights.

“Prior to the merger both PGA Tour and LIV Golf would be in competition with each other to sell their respective television rights, and therefore each imposes a constraint on the other in relation to the price that they can charge as there is an alternative that anyone seeking to buy television rights has,” Evans said.

“Once they are merged and under common control that constraint is removed or reduced, particularly in a case where there is no other comparable worldwide golf tour, so there is no alternative choice.

“That would allow the merged business to have greater market power and greater ability to dictate the price at which television rights would be sold.”

“Upstream” rights could include the impact on players’ earning potential, Evans said.

“Though professional golfers may not be a group most people would immediately think of as being worthy of protection, the impact the merger would have on them and the reduced choice as to which tour to join and on what terms, if both are controlled by the same operator, is another consideration,” he added.

John Buchanan, the last man to coach Australia to an Ashes victory on English soil in 2001, believes the tourists need to shelve their “team ego” if they are to end their long winless run this summer.

England’s red-ball revolution over the past 12 months, with the buccaneering pair of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm, has cast them as the most daring, dynamic team in the world game.

They have batted at a pace more associated with one-day cricket, bowled to endlessly attacking fields and made a series of bold declarations to push games forward, winning 11 Tests out of 13 along the way.

Buchanan oversaw a 4-1 victory 22 years ago to keep Australia’s era of dominance alive but was also in charge during the memorable summer of 2005 when Michael Vaughan’s men wrestled back the urn.

The Baggy Greens have since lost away series in 2009, 2013 and 2015 as well as drawing 2-2 four years ago, and Buchanan has identified a key issue if they wish to get back to winning ways.

He believes it is essential Australia are not suckered in to playing the game at their rivals’ preferred tempo and instead stick to their own more traditional methods.

“I think we are pointing to ego this summer, players’ ego, team ego. That will be the whole game,” he told the PA news agency.

“If there is one person in world cricket who has enough bravado, and the ability to back it up, it’s Ben Stokes.

“Australia need to know their response. The first way would be to just play a negative game, bowl one side of the wicket, bowl wide of the crease, set a leg-side field. But that feels like a backward step when this English team is really attracting interest to Test cricket.

“It doesn’t feel like a very Australian response either, it feels more like how the old England teams would respond.

“The other way is just to bat for long periods of time, and that’s where ego will play a part. England might well go at five an over, pile on 250 and be all out by tea on day five. But that leaves so much of the game left and Australia need to realise that going at three an over, or a little more, is enough to build a sizeable lead if they go long.

“To do that they need to not allow their ego to get in the road of their batting. I would expect the coach Andrew McDonald to be hammering that home, saying: “Bat long, bat lots”. That’s the game.”

Wales return to Euro 2024 qualifying action against Armenia in Cardiff on Friday.

Rob Page’s side began the campaign in March with a 1-1 draw in Croatia and a 1-0 home victory over Latvia.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points surrounding the Group D clash as Wales aim to build on that promising start.

Brooks is back

David Brooks would provide one of the most heart-warming stories of the season by returning to the international arena at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Brooks was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma while on international duty in October 2021 and has rejoined the Wales squad for the first time since announcing he was cancer-free in May last year.

The 25-year-old attacker returned to action for Bournemouth in March and made his first start last month. Brooks has won 21 caps for Wales and played at Euro 2020 before his illness was diagnosed.

Same again, please

Duplicating March’s return of four points will do Wales just fine.

Taking a point from World Cup semi-finalists Croatia courtesy of Nathan Broadhead’s stoppage-time strike was a bonus that few – if anyone – predicted.

Beating Armenia and getting some reward against Turkey in Samsun on Monday would represent a huge step for Welsh ambitions of clinching a top-two spot and reaching the finals in Germany next summer.

Johnson boost

Wales’ March games were overshadowed by the absence of Brennan Johnson.

Boss Rob Page suggested Johnson’s club Nottingham Forest had not done enough to get the forward fit for international duty, a claim which Reds boss Steve Cooper subsequently denied.

Whatever the truth of that, Johnson had an impressive maiden top-flight campaign at the City Ground and his return to the Wales squad is a huge boost.

Managing post-season break

It will be nearly three weeks since the Premier League finished when Wales walk out to take on Armenia.

The regular EFL season ended even earlier on May 8 and several members of Page’s squad have not played since.

Page organised a Cardiff camp for his non top-flight players last month before taking the entire squad to Portugal to prepare for Armenia and Turkey, but it remains to be seen how match-fit they are heading into the two qualifiers.

Painful memories

Armenia and Wales have only met twice, in 2002 World Cup qualifying.

Both games were drawn, with John Hartson scoring twice in a 2-2 draw at Yerevan’s Republican Stadium in March 2001 after Armenia had been reduced to 10 men.

The return game the following September was Wales’ 500th match. But Wales failed to mark the occasion with a win as their World Cup qualification hopes disappeared with a goalless draw at the Millennium Stadium.

Leeds have appointed former Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond as “interim football advisor on a short-term contract”.

Hammond, 55, will help Leeds with their summer recruitment plans as they continue their search for a permanent director of football.

The club said: “Leeds United are pleased to confirm the appointment of Nick Hammond as the club’s interim football advisor on a short-term contract.

“Hammond will help support the club during the summer transfer window.

“The experienced 55-year-old, former director of football at Reading and head of football operations at Celtic, worked in a similar consultancy role at Newcastle United.

“The process for finding a new, permanent, director of football at Leeds United is under way and the club aim to complete this process by October, allowing the successful candidate to focus on the January transfer window.”

Former Swindon and Reading goalkeeper Hammond spent 13 years as Reading’s first director of football from 2003 and was West Brom’s technical director before becoming Celtic’s head of football operations in 2019.

Leeds parted company with former director of football Victor Orta by mutual consent last month, shortly before being relegated from the Premier League.

They are also in the hunt for a new head coach after Sam Allardyce, appointed with four games remaining, left Elland Road earlier this month.

Wesley Ward has saddled 12 Royal Ascot winners since the beginning of his American invasion. But it is No Nay Never whose legacy is still felt 10 years after the colt rocketed to Norfolk Stakes success.

The American first announced himself at the Royal meeting in 2009 when Strike A Tiger’s Windsor Castle triumph was quickly followed by Jealous Again romping to Queen Mary victory in the opening race of the following day.

Although then a regular bringing his string across the Atlantic to challenge, he had to wait four years for his next success when No Nay Never blitzed his way to Norfolk glory, attracting the attention of a very famous Ascot regular in the process.

“That was a great day,” said Ward.

“We were second in the Queen Mary the day before, it was a 28-runner field and we came second. My buddy Gatewood Bell, all his buddies and himself owned the filly. We had a big night out that night, a great dinner and a little bit too much wine, so when I came in the next day I was nice and relaxed and the first race of the day was the Norfolk.

“Shortly after that I was invited up to sit with the Queen for about half an hour and it was a great experience.”

Ward’s meeting with the late Queen gave the 55-year-old as much pleasure as No Nay Never’s victory itself and he was left amazed by her boundless knowledge of the sport he plied his trade.

He continued: “What was great about it was she did most of the chatting!

“When you first get up there you are nervous and she just starts firing questions at you and it puts you so at ease. She was just picking my brain and asking all these questions about how I train, how I came here and asking about all the success I had.

“It was unbelievable how much knowledge she had, not just of racing but myself – I couldn’t believe the Queen of England even knew who a trainer like myself from a different country like America was and what I had accomplished.

“You would think she would just be coming to the races and focussed on English racing and everything else she had going on in her life. She was just a wonderful person.”

No Nay Never would go on to give Ward his first European Group One when winning the Prix Morny at Deauville, a race in which he would wear the famous Magnier silks closely associated with the Coolmore operation.

“That was a great day as well,” added Ward. “John Magnier and the whole Coolmore team were there as well and we got the picture in the winner’s enclosure.

“The sales were going on so Mr Magnier was there with all his team and it was a great day along with my great friend Paul Shanahan and he is why I’ve been involved with them, so I can’t thank him enough for getting me in there and I’ve been fortunate enough to have some success for them.”

Following his on-track career, No Nay Never would prove just as proficient in the breeding sheds and the son of Scat Daddy’s progeny continue to keep his name in the spotlight at the season’s showpiece fixture.

Alcohol Free is perhaps his biggest winner at Royal Ascot so far, with Andrew Balding’s star filly landing the Coronation Stakes on a wet afternoon in 2021, while he is beginning to become a force to be reckoned with for Coolmore, especially in the juvenile ranks.

Meditate and Little Big Bear both carried No Nay Never’s genes to two-year-old triumphs at Royal Ascot 12 months ago and both are likely to return 10 years on from one of their father’s finest hours, with Little Big Bear a red-hot favourite for the Commonwealth Cup.

“He’s gone on to be a great sire as well as a very good racehorse,” said Ward.

“He was always one of those horses you always thought would go on to be a sire when you have them in your barn.

“He had a great personality and he was very fast, but his mind was something that you know when you were around a horse like him – you could see how smart and intelligent he is.

“You would think with his ability and all of that combined, those are the ones that go on to be good sires.”

Northampton have announced the signing of England World Cup hopeful Tom Pearson.

Back-row forward Pearson was left without a club when London Irish went into administration last week after being suspended from all competitions by the Rugby Football Union.

The 23-year-old helped Irish to a fifth-place finish in the Gallagher Premiership, delivering numerous eye-catching performances.

He was named in England’s first World Cup training squad of the summer by head coach Steve Borthwick, while Pearson ended last term with Premiership and Rugby Players’ Association young player of the season honours.

“I will always be incredibly grateful to London Irish and treasure my time there,” he said.

“They gave me a shot two years ago coming out of university when I was an unknown and probably a bit of a risk.

“It’s tragic to not know the true potential of that team we had, but I want to thank all the players, staff, and the fans for everything they gave me over the last two years and for helping me create lifelong memories.

“From my very first conversation with (Northampton rugby director) Phil Dowson, he has been extremely honest and clear on the direction he wants Saints to go as a club.

“He really made me feel like I would fit in well in Northampton with the playing group and the style of rugby the team plays.

“He has also got clear ideas on where my game can improve, and I want to push on and develop as much as I can as a player.”

Two of Pearson’s England squad colleagues and former Irish team-mates – Henry Arundell and Will Joseph – have yet to confirm their club futures.

Arundell is thought to be a target for Bath and French club Racing 92, while Joseph has been strongly linked with Harlequins.

On recruiting Pearson, Dowson said: “Tom is an incredible athlete and is just going to get better the longer he is in the professional environment.

“He is very versatile, able to play across the back-row, and thanks to his physicality, movement and off-loading game he can make significant impacts all over the park.”

The Premier League fixtures announcement has thrown up some intriguing encounters in the opening round.

Vincent Kompany’s promoted Burnley will host his former club and treble winners Manchester City, while fellow new boys Luton visit Brighton and Chelsea welcome Liverpool.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most memorable opening-round Premier League fixtures from previous years.

1992: Sheffield United 2 Manchester United 1

This game was not a classic like those below but it did feature the first Premier League goal. Brian Deane scored it, then won it for the hosts from the spot after Mark Hughes had levelled. Fortunes soon changed as Alex Ferguson’s side won the title and the Blades were relegated.

1994: Sheffield Wednesday 3 Tottenham 4

This launched what was meant to be a continental new era for Spurs, with Jurgen Klinsmann leading the line after a move from Monaco. He delivered too, scoring and then performing one of the Premier League’s most memorable celebrations – a dive to live up to his reputation.

1996: Middlesbrough 3 Liverpool 3

It was shirts-over-your-head time at the Riverside as Fabrizio Ravanelli marked his Boro debut with a hat-trick. The White Feather took on Liverpool’s Spice Boys and nearly came out on top but, at the end of the season, Boro went down despite the Italian’s 16 goals.

1996: Wimbledon 0 Manchester United 3

David Beckham’s majestic lob from his own half triggered one of the English game’s most celebrated and high-profile careers. Beckham was a well-established prospect before he caught Neil Sullivan napping – but this goal certainly helped him make a name for himself.

2016: Arsenal 3 Liverpool 4

The hosts took the lead through Theo Walcott, who recovered from seeing a penalty saved by Simon Mignolet to score just 69 seconds later. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side stormed back as Philippe Coutinho (2), Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane put them 4-1 ahead, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers set up an exciting finish to a thrilling game.

2017: Arsenal 4 Leicester 3

The night started perfectly for Arsenal as new signing Alexandre Lacazette marked his league debut with a goal after just 94 seconds, only for Shinji Okazaki to level three minutes later. Jamie Vardy then capitalised on poor defending to twice put the Foxes ahead either side of Danny Welbeck’s equaliser. However Aaron Ramsey levelled, then fellow substitute Olivier Giroud’s 85th-minute goal settled a breathless encounter in Arsenal’s favour.

2017: Watford 3 Liverpool 3

Stefano Okaka gave Watford an eighth-minute lead, with Abdoulaye Doucoure re-establishing their one-goal advantage shortly after Mane equalised. Roberto Firmino levelled from the penalty spot after debutant Mohamed Salah was fouled, with the Egypt international then poking Liverpool ahead – only for Miguel Britos to equalise and give Marco Silva a positive first outing as Watford boss.

2020: Liverpool 4 Leeds 3

Champions Liverpool were given a scare by a fired-up Leeds side playing their first top-flight match in 16 years but ultimately a Salah hat-trick proved decisive. Three times the Reds were pegged back after taking the lead with a Salah penalty, a Virgil van Dijk header and another Salah strike, with equalisers coming from Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford and Mateusz Klich. Salah finally settled the contest with a second spot-kick two minutes from time.

2021: Brentford 2 Arsenal 0

Brentford announced their arrival in the Premier League in style as goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard secured a memorable 2-0 win over Arsenal. The Bees finally came full circle as their last match in the top flight, in May 1947, was a 1-0 home defeat against Arsenal.

2022: Manchester United 1-2 Brighton

Erik ten Hag endured a chastening reminder of the size of the job he had taken on at Manchester United as his first game in charge ended in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford. Starting with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, United were thoroughly outplayed in the first half as two Pascal Gross goals in the space of nine minutes gave the Seagulls a deserved lead. Ten Hag’s men did improve after the break once Ronaldo had come on, but only found the back of the net through an Alexis Mac Allister own goal and were unable to get a leveller.