Middleham Park Racing will have their first Betfred Derby runner as Dear My Friend bids to do his owners proud this weekend.

The chestnut is one of 16 possibles for the Epsom Classic on Saturday and will mark a significant milestone when he carries the syndicate’s familiar pale blue and orange silks in the revered Group One.

The colt’s route to the Derby included the Dante at York earlier in the month, an established trial in which he finished eighth, and a win in the Listed Burradon Stakes on Newcastle’s all-weather track in early April.

Those efforts, added to two successes and a handful of Listed and Group performances as a juvenile, have left him on a rating of 104 ahead of the Derby – for which he is currently a 100-1 shot for trainer Charlie Johnston.

“It’s our first ever runner in the race, we’re going into it with eyes wide open,” said Mike Prince of Middleham Park.

“He was well beaten in the Dante but we think the step up in trip will suit him. There’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t say, there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the track and there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the occasion – hopefully we’ll be there trying to pick up some of the pieces.

“He’ll need to take a step up in his form, he’s a notch below the favourites at the moment but we’re hoping that step up in trip will lead to some improvement from him. He’s got a lovely, long stride and a slow cadence.”

Though likely to be an outsider with the market favouring Group winners such as Auguste Rodin and Derby Trial winner Military Order, it is not unheard of that a horse at a big price should go well and there are recent examples in Hoo Ya Mal, who was second at 150-1 last year, and 50-1 chance Mojo Star who came second the year before.

Prince said: “There have been some horses at big prices making up the placings in recent years, Hoo Ya Mal was 150-1 and I think the third and fourth that year were big enough prices (Westover at 25-1 and Masekela at 66-1).

“That’s one of the things we said to the owners when were deciding to enter, there’s good place money down to sixth and they’re all delighted that we’re rolling the dice.

“He is rated 104 so he is going there on his merits, it’s a race with a great sense of tradition and there’ll certainly be a good contingent there to support him and enjoy the occasion.”

Chris Woakes pointed to misfortune suffered by the injured pair Jofra Archer and Olly Stone as one of the reasons he finds himself in contention for Ashes selection this summer.

Archer was ruled out of contention with a stress fracture to his elbow sustained playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, while Stone will miss at least the first Test with a hamstring injury.

Woakes had himself missed over a year of first-class cricket following knee surgery before returning to play for Warwickshire earlier in the summer.

The 34-year-old has been recalled to Brendon McCullum’s England side for the match against Ireland at Lord’s which begins on Thursday – his first home Test appearance since he featured against the West Indies in June 2020.

The seamer took six for 17 on his last appearance against Ireland back in 2019 and is hoping another strong performance could kick open the door to Ashes selection.

“If you’d have asked me a month or two ago whether I’d even be in this squad – probably not, really,” said Woakes. “Looking at the pool of fast bowlers that were available, you stick Jofra (Archer) and Olly Stone in the mix as well, I might not have been. Their misfortune means I’m here.

“But that’s the game, isn’t it? Injuries happen and things do change quite quickly. All part of my prep this summer was to miss IPL, play some county cricket for Warwickshire and try and get myself in the space where, if I was to get the call, then I’m ready. Thankfully it’s worked out nicely for myself.”

Lord’s has been a fruitful ground for Woakes, playing host to his only Test hundred against India in 2018 as well as being the setting for three five-wicket hauls.

After a year in injury limbo, he spoke of his gratitude at being having given the chance to put himself in contention for the Ashes – the first Test of which is at Edgbaston in June – and an opportunity to banish memories of the 4-0 series defeat in Australia during the 2020-21 edition.

“I suppose (it has been limbo) in a way,” he said. “Last summer wasn’t nice, because I tried to put the surgery off. I didn’t want to have it until it was a last resort, but it did get to the stage where it was last resort.

“It wasn’t serious surgery, but you never know how you’re going to come back from it, especially as it was the front knee, bowler’s knee.

“Thankfully, the surgeon did a good job, I’ve healed nicely and it’s pretty good. It was a tough summer but the winter well from a white-ball perspective so I’m looking forward to this summer.

“Without a shadow of a doubt (there were dark moments), you go through days when you’re injured and you see cricket going on, not just England, any cricket with Warwickshire as well, you want to be a part of that.

“I think the older you get and the more cricket you miss, you think it’s an opportunity missed. To miss a whole summer was not ideal, and there are moments where you do get a bit dark, not overly dark.

“But it’s that feeling that you’re losing valuable time to be playing cricket, making memories and making the most of your career.”

Hibernian will host a 24-hour charity football match at their training ground next month in memory of their late owner Ron Gordon.

The event will kick off at 3pm on Saturday, June 24 and finish the following afternoon, with as many supporters as possible encouraged to participate, while there will also be involvement from Lee Johnson’s first team.

Gordon died in February after a battle with cancer and funds raised from the match in his honour will go to the Hibernian Community Foundation.

“Ron was an extremely passionate man and someone who cared dearly about the role the football club plays in the local community,” said chief executive Ben Kensell.

“We want to create something special and something that carries on the legacy of a great man, by bringing supporters and people together, right to the heart of the football club, to raise money for the Hibernian Community Foundation.

“I think this challenge is really exciting and could be really testing – especially for those playing at 3am or 4am – but ultimately, it’ll be a good laugh for everyone and will bring the football club, the supporters, and the Community Foundation all together.”

An illegal streaming gang who offered cut-price subscriptions for Premier League matches to more than 50,000 people have been jailed.

The Premier League said five men were convicted of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and contempt of court after generating more than £7 million in five years.

Mark Gould, from London, was reported to have masterminded the operation and was handed an 11-year prison sentence at Chesterfield Crown Court on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old and co-defendants Steven Gordon, Peter Jolley, William Brown and Christopher Felvus offered illegal access to matches from hundreds of channels around the world, as well as tens of thousands of on-demand films and TV shows.

A sixth gang member, Zak Smith, failed to appear at court for sentencing and a warrant has been issued for his arrest, the Premier League said.

The league added that the illegal streaming businesses had 30 employees, with one undercover at a specialist anti-piracy company.

Brown, from Stoke-on-Trent, denied the offences, claiming to have been an undercover informant acting in the interests of law enforcement authorities and broadcasters

But the 33-year-old was unanimously convicted by a jury after a seven-week trial as the Premier League said he used his technical skills to hack legitimate customers’ accounts to access and copy streams – intending for them to take the blame if identified by authorities.

The prosecution was supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s trading standards team and the intellectual property protection organisation Fact.

Premier League general counsel Kevin Plumb said: “Today’s sentencing is the result of a long and complex prosecution of a highly sophisticated operation.

“The sentences handed down, which are the longest sentences ever issued for piracy-related crimes, vindicate the efforts made to bring these individuals to justice and reflect the severity and extent of the crimes.

“This prosecution is another concrete example of the clear links between piracy and wider criminality, a warning we repeatedly make.

“While most Premier League fans enjoy watching our games in a safe way, those who were customers of these services were effectively supporting individuals involved in other sinister and dangerous organised crime.

“The Premier League’s substantial financial contribution to the entire football pyramid is made possible through the ability to sell our broadcast rights.

“We are pleased that through rulings such as this, the courts continue to show that they recognise the importance of safeguarding the Premier League’s rights.

“We will continue to protect our rights and our fans by investigating and prosecuting illegal operators at all levels.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell is braced for the potential to lose some players but is hoping for clarity soon on his summer shopping list.

The Steelmen offered new contracts to academy graduates Max Johnston and Dean Cornelius several months ago but their futures remain uncertain.

Defender Dan Casey has also been offered a new deal, while the contracts of the likes of Sean Goss, Harry Paton, Mikael Mandron, Jonathan Obika, Jack Aitchison and Jake Carroll – plus loan players Stuart McKinstry and James Furlong – are also up.

The future of striker Kevin Van Veen could remain a topic for several months after the 31-year-old hit 29 goals last season. The Dutchman has a year left on his Fir Park contract.

But Kettlewell is hoping for clarity soon on other members of his squad.

“It can be a natural course but of course, we don’t want to be sitting four or five weeks from now,” he said.

“I always think as a player, when that season finishes, you have to make a decision one way or another. It gives you an indication we want to have a wee bit of clarity.

“I think the club has been fair with the offers and fair by acknowledging who we want to keep, and players we have spoken to and how those situations go.

“The next part that comes is that we get that wee bit in return from player representatives etc, so we get to a point where everyone knows what they are doing next season.

“I am not going to give you a deadline but it’s approaching that stage where we want that black-or-white answer.

“I sincerely hope I can keep as many players as I can but if not, it’s not the end of what we do as a club.

“It’s important I am braced, the board is braced and the recruitment team is braced that we may have to make some changes.

“That’s absolutely fine because you have to deal with those situations if clubs come in with a lot more money than us and a greater stature.

“But we have shown we have a real good nucleus here and we find ourselves in a pretty good place overall.”

The Washington Capitals hired Spencer Carbery as the 20th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.

"We are extremely pleased to name Spencer as our new head coach," Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Spencer is one of the best young coaches in the game who's had success at every level at which he has coached.

“We feel his leadership, communication skills, ability to develop players and familiarity with our organization will be a tremendous asset as he makes this next step in his coaching career."

Carbery, 41, was the head coach of the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate – the Hershey Bears – from 2018-21 and went 104-50-9-8 overall.

Hershey led the AHL with a 24-7-2-0 record in his final season behind the bench in 2020-21, earning Carbery the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding coach.

Following that season, Carbery joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach.

"It's a tremendous honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the Washington Capitals," Carbery said.

"I would like to thank the Capitals organization for affording me the opportunity to lead this team. I look forward to working with this group of talented players and building upon the winning culture in place.

“I would also like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for all their support over the past two years and wish them all the best in the future."

Washington did not bring Peter Laviolette back as head coach after going 35-37-10 this season and missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 30.

A proud father… as Sheffield Wednesday celebrated promotion.

Peter Crouch enjoyed Wembley!

Anyone for a trim? I will if you do….

Manchester United’s players enjoyed their end-of-season awards ceremony.

Rob Edwards… boss first, entertainer second.

Luton celebrated their promotion.

Bukayo Saka signed off for the season.

Happy birthday.

Forest turned the clock back.

Gary, Roy, Jill and Micah got together ahead of Wembley’s Manchester derby.

Leigh Wood celebrated.

Conor McGregor was all about the cash.

Esteban Ocon took his Monaco trophy for a ride.

McLaren flashback.

Daniel Ricciardo and Kylie Minogue had fun in Monaco.

Bottas was out on his bike.

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan has welcomed the return of Stuart Bannigan to add even more experience to his confident side ahead of their play-off final against Ross County.

The 30-year-old midfielder suffered a calf strain in the first half of Thistle’s quarter-final first-leg win over Queen’s Park, while Cammy Smith is also set to return after missing the semi-final games against Ayr with a groin issue.

The Jags have scored 16 goals in the cinch Premiership play-offs so far and Doolan has backed his players to handle the occasion ahead of Thursday’s first leg at Firhill.

“Stuart is back training now which is brilliant,” he said. “A guy like Stuart Bannigan coming back in lifts a team even more, as if they needed anything else to lift them. Even just to see him in training again… the boys got a wee spring in their step.

“He is such a big player for us and it’s great to see him back there leading within a group. I see a lot of leaders in the team and Stuart is one of them.

“You need that type of experience at this stage and it rubs off on the younger ones. They learn how to carry themselves, not to get carried away, not to get flustered and to enjoy it, embrace it.

“The play-off games are notoriously frantic and you have to understand how to handle that, but we have a lot of seasoned professionals, guys who have been through these type of games before, have played in the Premiership and top end of the Championship.

“We have good players who can handle the pressure. That’s shown in the four games we have had, we have not only scraped through the games, we have come flying through the games.”

Thistle have had a week to prepare for both legs against Ayr and will go into Thursday’s game with two more days of rest than County.

“I feel as if we are in the best shape we can be in,” Doolan said. “I think the boys have learned a lot about dealing with the play-offs, we have had four games under that pressure and scored 16 goals.

“To handle that type of pressure in the play-offs is a big feather in the cap of those players because I have been in the flipside of it. I have been in the Premiership side coming into the play-offs off the back of a season where you are used to losing games, and it becomes really difficult to turn a team round who have such good momentum.

“The four games we have had have been a great learning curve but also made us get stronger.

“If you are winning games, you don’t feel tired, you don’t feel sluggish. Our boys are desperate to play and they are full of energy.

“The confidence we have, we don’t come into these games fearful. We will be understanding of how difficult it is, we will give respect to Ross County because they are the Premiership side, but we play to win in every game and I see that mentality day in, day out.”

Pascal Bary has confirmed his unbeaten colt Feed The Flame will be supplemented for Sunday’s Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

The son of Kingman was unraced at two after a series of niggly problems, which meant Bary did not consider him as a suitable candidate to be part of the original entries.

However, he made a winning debut earlier this year, triumphing by five and a half lengths at ParisLongchamp, before returning that venue to beat subsequent Prix Hocquart winner First Minister with ease.

Bary, who holds the best record in the Prix du Jockey Club among currently active trainers with six wins, said: “Feed The Flame had a few issues at two and it was only in February that he started to come to hand and he has improved throughout with each run.

“He has only run twice, but he is professional enough that he can handle the Prix du Jockey Club.

“He’s a very big horse and like all big horses, he needed time to grow into himself. At the time the entries were made I never thought he’d be running this Sunday, but he has been supplemented.

“He only made his debut six weeks ago. I thought he would win but I didn’t think he would win that easily.

“We then ran him again quickly because I felt if he had any chance of running in this, he would need time between a second run and a Classic. When he won easily again we then made the decision the supplement him.”

Christophe Soumillon will maintain his partnership on the colt, the trainer also reported.

Bary’s six winners in the French Derby are Celtic Arms (1994), Ragmar (1996), Dream Well (1998), Sulamani (2002), Blue Canari (2004) and Study of Man (2018), with Celtic Arms, Ragmar and Blue Canari all sporting the Jean-Louis Bouchard silks that Feed The Flame will wear.

A total of 12 horses remain from the original entries, with supplementary contenders officially announced on Wednesday.

Among his potential rivals are French Guineas winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi, Andre Fabre’s Flight Leader, Christopher Head’s Big Rock and John and Thady Gosden’s Epictetus.

Coventry have confirmed Fankaty Dabo will leave the club at the end of the current season days after his decisive penalty miss in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final against Luton.

The defender has been with the Sky Blues since 2019 and joins Julien Dacosta, Todd Kane, Sean Maguire, Michael Rose, Martyn Waghorn and Tyler Walker in leaving the club when their contracts expire.

Loan players Jonathan Panzo, Callum Doyle, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Luke McNally will return to their parent clubs.

Manager Mark Robins thanked those leaving, and paid tribute to Dabo and Rose for playing key roles in Coventry’s League One success in 2019-20.

He told the club website: “I would like to thank those who are leaving for their time with us, the contributions that they have made to Coventry City, and wish them all of the best for their future careers.

“In particular, Fankaty Dabo and Michael Rose were huge parts of the side that won the League One title and then established us in the Championship.

“They will both be fondly remembered for many years to come by all Sky Blues fans, and the outpouring of support for Fanky (Dabo) from our supporters following Saturday goes to show the esteem he is held in.”

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named four uncapped players in a 42-man training squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Munster wing Calvin Nash, Leinster backs Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne and Ulster hooker Tom Stewart have all been included.

Leinster back Jordan Larmour and Munster fly-half Joey Carbery miss out, though, for a first block of training that starts on June 18.

Ireland have World Cup warm-up games against Italy, England and Samoa in August, with their tournament opener coming against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9.

A warm-weather training camp in Portugal is also planned for August before Farrell confirms his 33-player World Cup squad.

“It is exciting to announce our extended training squad for the first phase of Rugby World Cup preparations, and we are looking forward to assembling in Dublin next month to hit the ground running as a group,” Farrell told irishrugby.ie.

“It is pleasing to see that selection has been as tough as ever, as real quality players have initially been unfortunate to have missed out.

“I am sure that camp will be competitive enough as we grow minds and bodies and look to push on with our game from last season.

“In the meantime, it’s important that we freshen up for a busy and exciting summer ahead so we are ready to get to work on June 18.”

Training squad: Backs – B Aki (Connacht), C Blade (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), K Earls (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), M Hansen (Connacht), R Henshaw (Leinster), H Keenan (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), C Nash (Munster), J O’Brien (Leinster), J Osborne (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).

Forwards – R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), J Conan (Leinster), G Coombes (Munster), C Doris (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), R Herring (Ulster), R Kelleher (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Stewart (Ulster), K Treadwell (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster).

Hull KR prop forward Sam Luckley insists fulfilling his “boyhood dream” of playing at St James’ Park will never get old as he prepares for his third Magic Weekend.

Super League’s showcase event returns to Newcastle with six fixtures taking place across Saturday and Sunday.

Luckley, who grew up in North Shields, has featured in two Magic Weekends previously for Salford and says playing at the home of his beloved Newcastle United is “mesmerising”.

“I’m absolutely buzzing,” the 27-year-old told PA news agency. “I’ve played here twice before and it’s just mesmerising.

“I love coming and playing at this stadium. It’s a big do for all my friends and family as well, it’s a big build-up. I just try not to think about it too much, but I can’t wait to get on the pitch.

“When you come out for warm-up and stuff, the sprinklers are on… it feels like I should be wearing the number nine shirt!

“It’s brilliant, you can’t put it into words. It’s a boyhood dream.”

Hull KR face Luckley’s former club Salford in the 1330 kick-off on Saturday in what looks set to be a tight contest, with both teams locked on 16 points in the table.

Last time he played at St James’ Park, Luckley scored a try in front of the Gallowgate End – celebrating with an Alan Shearer-style raised hand – and would love the chance to do so again.

He said: “I thought if I do score, I’ve got to do it, in front of the Gallowgate as well… I don’t really get many tries so I’ve got to take it when it comes along.

“I’ll 100 per cent be doing it again… If I get through, if I get the chance, I will!”

He insists, though, that he would value a victory over personal glory.

“I haven’t won here yet,” he said. “We lost against Castleford when I was playing for Salford and we lost again to Huddersfield when I scored my try, so I’ll trade all the tries in for a win. We’ll have a big push for that on Saturday.”

The future of Magic Weekend is up in the air, with global sports media company IMG having been commissioned to “reimagine” rugby league in its role as the sport’s long-term strategic partner, but Luckley feels it is a “great spectacle” and “can’t be anything but good”.

“It’s great for the sport,” he said. “Just look at the NRL, they’ve got a Magic Round as well and they’re loving it.

“It’s a great spectacle for our sport and getting people who don’t watch rugby into rugby league over a weekend like this in a big football stadium in a big city… It can’t be anything but good.

“It doesn’t just have to be Newcastle, it could be anywhere. I think, being a bit biased, St James’ Park is a great spot, the pubs are down the road, shops down the road…

“I’d be more than happy to go somewhere else to try it out but I think you’ve got to get the location right.”