Jim Crowley is banking on reports of an imminent heatwave proving accurate to enable Mostahdaf to take his chance in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 21.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old has taken his form to a completely different level this season, winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and ending Paddington’s winning sequence in the Juddmonte International at York.

The next logical step for a horse excelling over 10 furlongs would be the Champion Stakes, but his connections have been cautious to make too firm a plan given his liking for good ground.

They do have the Breeders’ Cup Turf in reserve, but that would mean stepping back up to a mile and a half so Crowley would love the weather forecasters’ predictions of a dry week leading into Champions Day to prove correct.

“If the ground is nice I’m sure he will take his chance,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“The weather can change in between now and then but he’d go on good to soft, he has done in the past.

“I think if it came up very testing then he might reroute to a Breeders’ Cup or something, so that’s in the pipeline, but we’d love to get him there (Ascot) on good ground because it’s a great race and it would suit him, obviously, as a course and distance winner. It’s a very important race.

“We’ll take one step at a time and see if he goes to Ascot first, but that would be exciting if he went to America. It would be over a mile and a half, but he’s won over that distance and it’s over a tight two turns.

“He won out in Saudi and that is a similar sort of tight track to Santa Anita and he loves fast ground, so he’s got options and it’s great he’s been able to show us this season how good he really is.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for their match against Tottenham to be replayed due to the glaring VAR error which cost them the opening goal.

The fall-out from the VAR failure in Saturday’s defeat – in which officials wrongly disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal due to a misunderstanding of the on-field decision – is still being felt.

The Premier Game Match Officials Ltd released the audio conversation between officials and the VAR after a request from Liverpool, but Klopp said that had made little difference to their thinking.

“The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake,” he said. “I think there should be solutions for that. I think the outcome should be a replay.

“The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented, it has not happened before.

“I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened and so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do.”

Legendary American jockey Steve Cauthen and the Clive Brittain-trained Pebbles are the latest inductees into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame.

Cauthen needs no introduction to British racing fans, his supreme style in the saddle having a huge affect on his contemporaries.

Often described as ‘having a clock in his head’, he was so effective on front-runners – none more so than when making all in the Derby on Slip Anchor in 1985. He repeated the feat two years later on Reference Point.

Both of those were trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil, a fellow Hall of Famer with whom Cauthen struck up a great relationship.

Now 63, Kentucky-born Cauthen is the only jockey to have ridden the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Epsom Classic and he was also the youngest ever to win the US Triple Crown.

Champion jockey three times, Cauthen still keeps an eye on the British racing scene and will be on course at Ascot on Champions Day later this month when his achievement will be marked with a special presentation.

He said: “I’m grateful to have had so many brilliant opportunities on both sides of the pond and to still be recognised for my achievements is really quite special to me.

“Having been inducted into America’s Hall of Fame some years back, it’s an honour to now celebrate my induction into Great Britain’s Hall of Fame, and I’m looking forward to marking this moment with family and friends on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot later this month.”

Cauthen rode Pebbles to many of her great successes, including when she became the first filly to win the Eclipse in 1985.

She also won the 1000 Guineas, the Champion Stakes and went down in history as the first British-trained winner at the Breeders’ Cup under Pat Eddery.

“I first saw Pebbles about two days after she was born, and I knew even then that there was something special about her,” said Brittain.

“I used to go and see her in the paddock at weekends, where she was always taking charge of the others – she had such great spirit.

“I still think about her today and can see her fresh in my mind, particularly with her boyfriend, Come On The Blues. Theirs was a great love story and he accompanied her wherever she went – even travelling out to America with her for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“That day was the only time that I’ve been racing and felt nervous, but I just did the same as we’d have done at home and it all worked out.

“Pebbles was 100 per cent racehorse and she was simply a pleasure to train. I’m so very pleased to see her inducted into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame and I’m also very proud to have played a part in her success.”

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw has emerged as an injury doubt ahead of Saturday’s crucial Rugby World Cup showdown with Scotland in Paris.

The 30-year-old is struggling with a “niggle” and will be assessed ahead of head coach Andy Farrell naming his matchday 23 on Thursday afternoon.

Henshaw suffered a fitness setback at the start of the tournament when he was a late withdrawal from Ireland’s bench for the 82-8 win over Romania.

He subsequently came on as a replacement in the 59-16 success over Tonga and the 13-8 victory against reigning champions South Africa.

Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell said: “Everyone came through training, but Robbie has a bit of a niggle and we’re finding out about that today.

“I’m sure there will be some information on that tomorrow.”

Henshaw has been providing back-up for in-form midfield duo Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.

Leinster team-mate Jimmy O’Brien, Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey and Munster veteran Keith Earls are among the options to take his place in Farrell’s squad to face the Scots, if he is ruled out.

Manchester United have endured their worst start to a season since 1986, following Tuesday night’s Champions League defeat at home to Galatasaray.

United have lost six of their opening 10 games in all competitions, a tally not seen since the latter stages of Ron Atkinson’s managerial reign.

Here, the PA news agency compares their current struggles with previous poor starts.

37-year low

Erik ten Hag’s side were booed off the pitch on Tuesday after another disappointing performance at Old Trafford.

The 3-2 loss to Galatasaray was United’s second in successive Champions League matches – following a 4-3 reverse against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich – to go with four Premier League defeats.

The Red Devils succumbed 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, compounding previous losses against Brighton, Arsenal and Tottenham.

A 3-0 win over Palace in the Carabao Cup last week was by far their most convincing of the season, with narrow Premier League victories against Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Wolves doing little to silence the doubters.

United’s total of six defeats in 10 games is their highest since the 1986-87 season – the year that Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of the club.

Under Ferguson’s predecessor Atkinson, United lost six of their first eight Premier League games, with a 5-1 win over Southampton in mid-September providing only temporary respite.

Atkinson was sacked in early November with United in the bottom four of the First Division.

No defence

United’s main issues under Ten Hag appear to be in defence, with the Dutchman having watched his side concede 18 goals already this term.

They have shipped at least three goals on four separate occasions – at home to Galatasaray and Brighton and away to Bayern and Arsenal.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana is yet to prove himself to be a significant upgrade on David de Gea, while a back four shorn of key injury absentees such as Lisandro Martinez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw looked all at sea against Wilfried Zaha and co on Tuesday.

Their total number of goals conceded is higher than the 13 shipped in the first 10 games in 1986-87, and surpasses anything seen in the Ferguson era or subsequently.

United also struggled defensively at the start of 2022-23, conceding 17 goals in the first 10 games – a tally matched only by Louis van Gaal’s first season (2014-15) and one of Ferguson’s early campaigns at the club (1989-90).

However, Ten Hag oversaw a significant improvement in the remainder of last season, with United going on to keep a Premier League-leading 17 clean sheets across the whole campaign.

George Turner admitted Scotland must produce a much better performance against Ireland on Saturday than they managed in their opening World Cup game against South Africa.

The Scots lost 18-3 against the Boks – ranked second in the world at the time – in Marseille last month.

That defeat played a big part in Gregor Townsend’s side finding themselves in a position whereby they must defeat the Irish with a bonus point in Paris this weekend or by denying the world’s top-ranked team a losing bonus point if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.

Hooker Turner knows Scotland must prove this Saturday that they have learned lessons from their last meeting with one of the tournament’s elite teams as they bid to produce what he feels will have to be one of their best-ever displays.

“We talk about performances and we gave ourselves maybe a six (out of 10) against South Africa,” said Turner. “We really want to push our performance.

“We had opportunities against South Africa, we changed a few things up and it didn’t quite click. The intensity, will and want was there and we’ve been practising since then to make the performance better.

“We obviously need our best performance. We need to be nine or 10 out of 10 to beat the best teams in the world, especially Ireland in a World Cup where it’s a must-win game for them as well.”

Turner admitted there is an extra buzz about the Scotland squad this week as the definitive game of their World Cup draws closer.

“Obviously it’s a final for us, it’s knock-out rugby against the best team in the world,” he said.

“We know them well. It’s just a massive challenge that we are all heavily focused on.

“Excitement is building. We are getting the learning done, getting the game plan sorted and looking forward to it.

“There’s more energy, more on the line. Boys will feel it a bit more. It’s good for everyone – the guys who are playing, the guys who are not playing. Everyone in training is trying to give their best to support the team.”

Turner also reported that he had to overcome a nasty cut to his hand on the eve of the South Africa game while cutting bread with a knife.

“I cut my hand open and got four or five stitches,” said the Glasgow hooker. “It just tugged a bit and I was like, ‘that bread is a bit tough’. It was my hand.

“The doctor said I had to go to hospital, which was a bit of panic stations, but it was fine. He sewed me up straight away.

“I had to bandage it during the game and it kept coming off which was a bit annoying, but it’s fine now.”

A man has died after being taken unwell towards the end of Leyton Orient and Lincoln’s abandoned Sky Bet League One match at Brisbane Road, the London Ambulance Service has confirmed.

A fan ran on the pitch towards referee Stephen Martin to draw attention to the fact that a member of the public needed medical attention in the East Stand.

The match then continued for less than a minute before around 20 supporters sat down on the pitch at the home end to alert the referee to the continuing medical emergency, with play soon halted.

As paramedics appeared to give the man CPR on the side of the pitch, the referee took the teams off the field.

The match was abandoned an hour after the initial stoppage occurred and as the fans left the ground, the medical teams were still in attendance.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday the man had later been pronounced dead.

“We were called yesterday at 9:28pm to reports of a person becoming unwell at Leyton Orient Football Club, on Brisbane Road,” a London Ambulance Service spokesperson said in a statement.

“We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an incident response officer, two medics in fast-response cars and an ambulance crew. Our first medic arrived in approximately four minutes.

“We treated a man at the scene, but very sadly, despite our teams’ best efforts, he was later pronounced dead.”

Leyton Orient were leading 1-0 when the game was stopped, through an early goal from Joe Pigott.

The English Football League will determine whether the fixture will be rescheduled, or if the result at the time of the abandonment will stand. The decision will be taken only after consultation with both clubs.

Guidance is in place for clubs if a supporter becomes unwell in a stadium, with local circumstances determining the action taken.

It is strongly advised the nearest steward is made aware, who will ensure that the crowd medical team is notified and that appropriate care is provided.

Then should a situation arise where there is a need for the match to be halted, a decision will be taken between the crowd medical team, the ground safety team and the match officials, with the information relayed to the supporters at the ground. The EFL will also be informed at this point.

All clubs have a matchday medical plan with dedicated crowd medical teams in the stadium, ready to assist at any point during the match.

Leyton Orient issued a statement on Tuesday evening following the decision to abandoned the game.

“The thoughts of everyone at Leyton Orient Football Club are with the individual involved and their loved ones at this distressing time,” the statement read.

“The club would like to thank all supporters in attendance at Brisbane Road this evening for the understanding and compassion shown, during a very difficult situation.

“The club will provide a further update in due course.”

Liam Cooper, Greg Taylor and Jacob Brown have been recalled to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier in Spain.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland drops out along with, as expected, Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson last week indicated he wanted more time to consider his international future, having left the last Scotland camp after two days following his first call-up to the full squad.

Leeds defender Cooper returns from injury while Celtic left-back Taylor replaces Kieran Tierney, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Luton striker Brown is yet to score in the Premier League since his move from Stoke, while Shankland has gone seven matches without scoring after hitting five goals in his first six games of the season for Hearts.

Scotland have won their opening five games and are six points ahead of second-placed Spain ahead of their trip to Seville on October 12.

Steve Clarke’s side then face France in a friendly in Lille five days later.

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis will be a guest of honor at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, from October 26 to November 1.

Lewis is one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, having set world records in the 100m dash, 4x100m and 4x200m relays, and in the indoor long jump. He also won two gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1987, in the long jump and 4x100m relay.

The 62-year-old Lewis is currently a coach at the University of Houston, where he mentors more than 100 young athletes, including Mexico's Cecilia Tamayo, who will compete in the 100m and 200m at the Santiago 2023 Games.

"I'm so looking forward to coming down to Santiago for the 2023 Pan Am Games," Lewis said in a statement. "I went to the Pan Am Games more than once, and it was my first international team, so it's really exciting to get down there."

Lewis's appearance at the Pan American Games is part of a select group of sporting legends who will be present as guests of Panam Sports.

"Carl Lewis, the Son of the Wind, is a tremendous athlete and icon of the sports world," said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic. "For us it is a tremendous honor to have him here. We are going to have many surprises, and Carl is one of the first that we are announcing."

Lewis's presence at the Pan American Games is sure to add excitement to the event and inspire athletes from all over the Americas.

Pierre Schoeman is hellbent on extending his “miracle” World Cup beyond this weekend as he gears up for Saturday’s critical Paris showdown with Pool B rivals Ireland.

Just under two years after winning the first of his 25 caps, the South Africa-born prop is enjoying the time of his life in France as Gregor Townsend’s first-choice loosehead.

But Schoeman knows he would likely have missed out on playing for Scotland at the tournament if not for the fact the Covid-19 pandemic led to a delay in World Rugby changing the three-year residency rule to five years.

That meant the 29-year-old – who left Bulls in his homeland to join Edinburgh in 2018 – was able to make his debut in October 2021 as opposed to having to wait until this summer to become eligible, by which time it would probably have been too late for him to force his way into the World Cup squad.

“I can only say with gratitude that it is a miracle, to be honest,” he said. “It would have actually been five years but because of Covid, it was three years, so two years less.

“I would have only made my debut for Scotland now (this summer) if it wasn’t for Covid so there is always a blessing in disguise somewhere.”

Schoeman is savouring every moment of a tournament he described as the highlight of his career.

“It has been massive,” he said. “Representing Scotland at the World Cup is the best thing I have experienced in my rugby journey.

“I have been honoured and privileged to do it. And with the team we have, the management and the players are a really good group.

“It has been amazing. I have to give credit to our partners and our families for the sacrifices they have made but in the south of France, the passion they have for their rugby and having all the Scottish fans here as well, that’s massive.

“The amount of fans that came over makes you realise that you have to play a bit harder for them as well.

“It’s not just about you and the team, it’s about playing for the fans and the country you represent.

“Putting on the jersey for Scotland in a World Cup in the south of France gives you that extra fuel to prep. You want to do it 100 times.”

Schoeman and his Scotland colleagues know their World Cup adventure will end if they are not able to get a bonus-point win over Ireland on Saturday or deny their opponents a losing bonus.

The prop is unable to countenance the prospect of leaving France this weekend.

“I haven’t even thought about making plans for a holiday or time off or going back to play with my club,” he said. “It’s all this now, this week, this test, to get another three weeks or however long it is.

“We are confident, we are going to go for the win and we believe we can get the win. As a group, we are ready to go.”

Schoeman is braced for the biggest game of his career in Paris.

“There have been some big Six Nations games but this is a World Cup and we’re against the world’s best in Ireland,” he said.

“These are the games you want to play in. They are the games you want to measure yourself against, especially the set-piece battles.

“Being a prop, you want to go against the best. As a pack and as a team, we can’t wait.”

Brian Ellison has three options for Tashkhan having seen his stable star get back to winning ways at Chester last weekend.

The mud-lover defied a big weight to win a valuable handicap, his first success since claiming a big pot at Haydock in July 2021.

In the interim he has performed with great credit in staying races like the Long Distance Cup at Ascot, the Yorkshire Cup and the Gold Cup at Ascot.

However, Ellison always has the problem of knowing the five-year-old is simply not the same horse unless he gets to race on soft ground.

He could now shoulder top-weight of 10st 2lb in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, with the Long Distance Cup or the Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp alternate options, with conditions crucial to the decision.

“It all depends on the ground where next, we won’t run him anywhere unless it rains as we know what a different horse he is,” said Ellison.

“He’s in the Cesarewitch, he’s in at Ascot and he could go to France, so wherever the ground comes right he could run in any.

“When he runs on fast ground it takes him a while to get over it but I’ve got him back right again now – thankfully the rain came at Chester. That was a good performance against in-form horses and he was giving them a lot of weight.

“He’s come out of it great which is the main thing. I know he’d have a lot of weight in the Cesarewitch but if it went heavy I’d still think about.

“I’ve stopped looking at weather forecasts, the rain wasn’t forecast for Chester and it poured down.

“You’d think the ground would be soft in France, but it wasn’t last weekend and we went at the beginning of the season when they told us it was heavy, but it was good jumping ground to me.

“If I had to pick one it would be Ascot, if it’s soft there he’d run. We’ll just go where the soft ground is.”

Ben Stokes has emerged as an injury doubt for England’s World Cup curtain-raiser against New Zealand on Thursday, with a sore hip placing question marks over his place.

Stokes reversed his year-long retirement from ODI cricket in order to help defend the title he helped secure in 2019, despite concerns over his long-term fitness.

The 32-year-old has been struggling with a chronic knee condition in recent years and was selected as a specialist batter for the tournament after deciding to spare his body the rigours of bowling.

But on the eve of the opening match at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium, the biggest cricket venue on the planet with a capacity of more than 130,000, he was still being assessed.

Stokes has not played since smashing 182 against the Black Caps on September 13 and was the only squad member to play no part in this week’s warm-up victory over Bangladesh.

Captain Jos Buttler, speaking ahead of his side’s final training session, said: “He’s got a slight niggle with his hip, but fingers crossed that it’ll be good news for us. We’ll see.

“He’s working hard with the physios and we’ll know more when the guys arrive for training.

“We’ll make the right call. If he’s not fit to play, he’s not fit to play. If he is, we can make that decision.

“It’s not the time to take big risks on someone at the start of the tournament. Nearer the end, maybe you do take more of a risk with people’s injuries but it’s going to be a long tournament.”

Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has recalled Jamal Lewis and Callum Marshall to his squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against San Marino and Slovenia.

O’Neill’s side play San Marino and Slovenia in a Group H double-header on October 14 and 17 respectively, with both games at Windsor Park.

Newcastle defender Lewis, on loan at Watford, missed last month’s defeats in Slovenia and Kazakhstan through injury.

Striker Marshall has forced his way back into O’Neill’s plans after scoring nine goals in 12 appearances for West Ham Under-21s.

Midfielders Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock) and Paddy Lane (Portsmouth), defenders Eoin Toal (Bolton) and Brodie Spencer (Motherwell) and QPR winger Paul Smyth have all retained their places in the squad.

Oxford defender Ciaron Brown has not been included after sustaining injury against Slovenia last month, while Blackpool striker Shayne Lavery and Portsmouth winger Gavin Whyte have also been left out despite recently returning from injury for their clubs.

O’Neill will be without defender Craig Cathcart, who announced his retirement last month, while experienced midfielders Steven Davis (Rangers), Corry Evans (Sunderland), Stuart Dallas (Leeds) and Shane Ferguson (Rotherham) are still recovering from long-term injuries.

Liverpool wing-back Conor Bradley and Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly are also unavailable through injury.

Northern Ireland’s qualification hopes are over after O’Neill’s injury-hit squad slipped to five straight group defeats and the former Stoke boss is now building for the future.

Gareth Thomas knows from painful experience the misery that Georgia’s forwards can inflict on opponents.

Wales need one point from Saturday’s Pool C finale against Georgia in Nantes to guarantee topping their group.

With a quarter-final place having already been secured for the fourth successive World Cup under head coach Warren Gatland, they are building towards an expected last-eight appointment with Argentina or Japan.

But before that there is unfinished business for Wales, even though Georgia are already out of the tournament following losses to Australia and Fiji either side of a draw with Portugal.

Ospreys prop Thomas will line up at Stade de la Beaujoire as the solitary survivor from Wales’ starting pack against Georgia in Cardiff 326 days ago.

He played just over an hour of what became one of Welsh rugby’s darkest days – a 13-12 defeat that effectively signalled the end for Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac.

Two Jac Morgan tries helped Wales build a nine-point lead, but they were overhauled when Luka Matkava kicked a penalty two minutes from time that put Georgia in dreamland.

Asked about Georgia’s scrum threat, Thomas said: “Yes, 100 per cent. That is what won them the game against us in the autumn last year.

“They are just such a physical side. Set-piece stuff we have to be on top of our game, as we know they are going to come strong.

“We have come a long way since the start of the summer, but we know this week will be a big test for us.”

Only an eternal optimist would have predicted Wales’ status as World Cup quarter-finalists just over a year after that Principality Stadium debacle.

A poor Six Nations followed, when victory over Italy in Rome staved off the wooden spoon, but Gatland has once again weaved his magic.

A 12-year first stint in the job produced Six Nations titles, Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals and a brief spell as world number one team.

And three games into their World Cup campaign, Wales have a 100 per cent record and are strongly fancied to make the last four.

Thomas added: “We want to keep the momentum going that we’ve had over the last few weeks here, trying to hold onto that and push and grow as a team as we go forward to the quarter-finals.

“We are a completely different team to what we were last year.

“There has been a massive improvement in the squad, but we know that they are a very good side and we have to be on top of our game to be successful this weekend.

“It is the time we have spent together and the amount of work we have put in together. You cannot fault the amount of effort that has gone in this summer.

“The confidence within the team at the minute is something I haven’t felt before. We are in a good place.”

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