Max Verstappen finished fastest in practice in Qatar as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.
The Dutchman needs to finish only sixth in Saturday’s sprint race to clinch the title and he made light work of Friday’s sole practice at the Lusail International Circuit.
Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car.
Fernando Alonso took fourth spot for Aston Martin, one place ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished only eighth and 13th for Mercedes.
Verstappen has dominated this season – winning 13 of the 16 races staged – and he will claim his third straight title if he scores three points in the 19-lap sprint race.
First, Verstappen must qualify for Sunday’s main event and, on the evidence of the early running, he appears favourite to take pole position.
The Dutch driver soared to the top of the time sheets of the one-hour running in the final minutes with a healthy third-of-a-second advantage to the rest of the field.
Russell was almost a second back in the lead Mercedes, with Hamilton 1.2 sec behind Verstappen.
Qualifying takes place at 8pm local time (6pm BST).
AC Milan head for promoted Genoa on Saturday desperate to make up for drawing another Champions League blank in midweek.
The Rossoneri make the trip to the Luigi Ferraris Stadium having won their last three Serie A fixtures against Verona, Cagliari and Lazio to remain level on points with leaders and derby rivals Inter at the top of the table.
However, they do so still reflecting on the disappointment of Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund in their second Group F fixture, with the first against Newcastle at San Siro having similarly ended in stalemate.
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Manager Stefano Pioli said after the Dortmund game: “Many things we do are positive, but we have not been concrete and ruthless. I want to start again from the many positive things we are doing.”
Pioli and his players were unable to travel back to Italy from Germany on Thursday and so have effectively had just one day to prepare for the clash with Genoa.
They will still be without midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who suffered an adductor muscle injury during the 2-0 victory over Lazio.
Ismael Bennacer and Rade Krunic are also out and the forthcoming international break could hardly be better timed for Pioli’s walking wounded, with Juventus, Paris St Germain and Napoli waiting in the wings in back-to-back games.
Opposite number Alberto Gilardino will hope his side can take advantage of any fatigue to build upon a 4-1 home victory over Roma and a 2-2 draw at Udinese.
However, Gilardino is sweating on the fitness of star striker Mateo Retegui, who suffered a knee injury in Udine.
The manager told a press conference: “Retegui still has pain in his knee, but we’ll wait 24 hours to see if there is a possibility of recovery without risking the rest of his season.
“Everyone’s desire is to see him on the pitch, but we need to be clear in our assessments.”
Whatever team he is able to field, Gilardino knows the task they face will be a tough one.
He added: “We will have to limit the percentage of errors on our part as much as possible. We are facing a strong team, both the starting XI and those who will take over, all players with important characteristics both in terms of technical qualities and physicality.
“I will ask the boys for a huge effort. The important thing will be to be united.”
Boss Unai Emery has ruled out a top-four charge despite Aston Villa’s strong start to the season.
Villa go to Wolves on Sunday sitting fifth in the Premier League ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
They are the second top scorers in the division with 18 goals, one behind Brighton who they smashed 6-1 last weekend.
But despite Villa’s form, Emery dismissed any hopes of challenging for the Champions League.
“To be in the top four is very difficult and we are not contenders. There are other teams who are contenders for those positions,” he said.
“When we are in the possibility to get those positions in the table, we have to be very demanding and believe. We have to build a team, trying to get better each match and feel strong with our structure.
“The next consequences are that we will feel comfortable playing and being confident trying to face the top seven teams, being a contender for that.”
Jacob Ramsey (foot) and Alex Moreno (hamstring) remain out, along with long-term absentees Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings (both knee).
“For Sunday, no, they are not going to be available,” said Emery.
“Jacob will need time again to recover his injury. He has an injury and he’s not going to be available.
“Alex was progressing, he was working with the team, he was doing training sessions, but he needed to stop because he wasn’t feeling good. Now, he’s feeling better and hopefully after the break he could be with the group, training every day.
“Moussa Diaby and Boubacar Kamara are going to work with the team tomorrow. In case they feel good, they could be playing but it’s not 100 per cent.”
Natalia Lupini will keep a close eye on ground conditions at the Curragh before committing her unbeaten filly Kitty Rose to a run in Saturday’s Staffordstown Stud Stakes.
An impressive winner as a 25-1 shot on her racecourse debut at Naas in August, the daughter of Invincible Army proved there was no fluke about that performance when successfully stepping up to Listed class in the Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.
Lupini hopes to see her stable star go in search of the hat-trick at Group Three level this weekend, but warns her participation is ground dependent.
“She has been in good form and she’s ready to run, the only thing is we’re monitoring the ground as we had a lot of rain yesterday and today,” said the County Armagh-based Italian.
“We’ll just have to keep a close eye on the ground as she probably doesn’t want it too soft, so we’re not going to run her on very soft ground.
“She seems to have stepped up a gear in her work since Leopardstown and everything looks good apart from the weather, unfortunately!
“The current owners are thinking this will be her last run of the year. She’s a big filly and she will definitely benefit from a winter break.”
Kitty Rose’s potential rivals include the experienced Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Brilliant and Content and Gavin Cromwell’s Royal Ascot heroine Snellen.
The latter beat the boys in the Chesham Stakes in June, but needs to bounce back from a disappointing run when last of eight in the Debutant Stakes at the Curragh on her most recent start.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has stressed that “every single game is important” as the Blues look to continue their winning run at Burnley.
They have secured back-to-back wins after beating Brighton 1-0 in the League Cup and seeing off west London rivals Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday.
Up next for Chelsea is a trip to Turf Moor to face the Clarets and Pochettino knows how tough a match it will be.
He told a press-conference: “Every single game is important for us, for us it’s two different things.
“One is to get the result we need, another is to settle and help the players to arrive at their best to get their best form that they can.
“Every single game in the Premier League is important and of course tomorrow is going to be a tough game because it’s a team who run a lot and try to play. Of course it’s going to be tough but we go there to try to win the three points.”
Monday’s victory saw Mykhailo Mudryk score his first goal for the club before Armando Broja added another to break a three-game winless run in the Premier League for the Blues, who are currently 11th in the table.
With two consecutive wins under their belt, Pochettino is hopeful his side can keep the momentum going into the international break.
“Now after two victories it’s important to keep thinking the same way – that we need to improve,” he added.
“We were losing games and not getting what we deserved, I think. Keeping the balance and keeping the belief was important too.
“I think the most important is the journey, we know the way we need to keep improving, we’ve won two games but it’s still nothing so far with the way we wanted to play and to perform.
“To go into the international break with a different feeling than the last international break is really important for us to win the game, but we need to stay calm.
“We have been preparing really well for the game and of course we are going to arrive in a condition to compete against a team who is doing well also and trying to be better than them.”
Pochettino provided positive news on defender Reece James, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he picked up in training last month.
The Argentinian confirmed James has been in training, but the England international will miss the Burnley clash following a suspension and fine after admitting to abusing a match official during last month’s defeat to Aston Villa.
“I think he was training with the group, it’s a shame that he is suspended and banned for tomorrow,” Pochettino said.
“We are really happy in the way he’s recovering, he’s doing well and we hope after the international break he can be available. He is available but after the suspension (is served).”
Chelsea are still without several players with Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah both in partial team training, while Ben Chilwell, Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are all in different stages of their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists only a top-drawer performance from his players will suffice if they are to overcome Osasuna on Saturday.
Los Blancos top LaLiga with seven wins and one defeat from their opening eight games, one point above their bitter rivals Barcelona.
Osasuna are the visitors on Saturday, with the team from Pamplona unbeaten on their last two encounters at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Italian coach Ancelotti knows Real cannot afford to have an off-day.
“We want to finish (the period heading into the international break) well, taking into account that Osasuna is a difficult rival and has always played good games here,” he told a press conference.
“Plus, we haven’t beaten them the last two times. We have to be at our best to get the three points.
“We will try to play well and play fast football, with intensity, to find offensive solutions as soon as possible.
“Osasuna is a team that defends very well and will try to throw us off to hurt us. We must attack with intelligence and avoid risks behind.”
Real recovered from losing 3-1 in the Madrid derby to Atletico on September 24 to record three straight wins in all competitions, including a 3-2 away victory at Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Ancelotti said Austrian defender David Alaba was not fit to return due to an adductor problem.
“We have the option of (Ferland) Mendy or (Aurelien) Tchouameni . We will adapt well and defensive work depends on the team, not on individuals,” Ancelotti added.
“We have tested Tchouameni in these two days of training and he has a defensive attitude – he is good in duels and heading. Mendy is a defender and is used to playing on the backline.”
Ancelotti said Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was “happy to play” despite his appearance in court in Valencia this week to testify against three fans accused of racially abusing him.
The Italian said he did not think Croatian playmaker Luka Modric was considering leaving the club in January.
“He thinks he is an important player and so do we,” Ancelotti said.
“He is going to be very important this season and we are happy with him. I speak with Modric every day and he continues to maintain high motivation and enthusiasm to contribute something to the team.
“What he brings to the locker room no one can bring. He has charisma and is important even when he doesn’t play. That he does not play affects him and all of us who love Modric . He played 30 minutes in Naples and that means a lot to us.”
Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate said his team would have to “roll up their sleeves and get together”.
“We are going to be defending for a long time, we are going to be subdued, and we have to have a good defensive organisation, we have to be forceful and we need our goalkeeper to be good,” he said.
“All that is clear, but we also need to let go, have the ball, make them run backwards so that the game has two directions, not just one.”
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged Liverpool were denied a “legitimate goal” in last weekend’s match but defended VAR operator Darren England.
Spurs claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool last Saturday, but the result was mired in controversy after a Luis Diaz effort in the 34th-minute was incorrectly ruled out for offside.
The incident was reviewed but VAR operator England mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal and, after establishing Diaz had been onside, England told referee Simon Hooper “check complete” before Tottenham resumed the game with the score 0-0.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited subsequently admitted a “significant human error” occurred and released the audio this week, while on Wednesday Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated a replay may be the best solution even though he admitted it was unlikely.
Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Luton, Postecoglou said: “The facts of it are that it was a legitimate goal Liverpool scored that wasn’t given.
“You kind of look at why it’s not given because that’s the first thing you question: obviously something has broken down.
“It became clear it wasn’t an integrity issue, it wasn’t a misappropriation of the law, it was an error in communication, a mistake, a mistake which cost Liverpool.
“I get that it’s an unusual one in that it’s never happened before, but at the same time we’re in a new space anyway with technology where I think they’ll be a lot of firsts with the way we deal with these things.”
The fallout from the incident has seen referee England reportedly told he will not officiate another Liverpool match this season, but Postecoglou railed against critics of the official.
“I don’t know if that’s been decided,” the Spurs boss added. “I’d be surprised if they have gone that way.
“It’s a significant error but it’s a human being that’s made that error. I don’t think that there’s anything that needs to go too far reaching
“From my perspective, when I listened to that audio, saying ‘check complete’, someone obviously thought it was a good way of finalising things and it’s worked up until now.
“I would have thought the logical thing is to say ‘goal for Liverpool’ but I’m saying that with the ignorance of not knowing how it’s truly set up.
“When listening to that you probably think there’s better ways of communicating a clear decision in such a big situation.
“I hope that’s what they’re addressing, not the individual that made the mistake. I think that’s a dereliction of the game.
“That’s like me hanging out a player to dry just because he made a mistake. My role is to go in and help that player to improve not say ‘now you’re never playing again’.”
Spurs’ focus will turn to their Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Luton and another victory for Postecoglou’s team would send them top of the Premier League until Sunday’s meeting between current leaders Manchester City and third-placed Arsenal.
James Maddison (knee) and Son Heung-min (groin) have been declared fit to play but Manor Solomon (knee) has joined a growing injury list that contains Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), Brennan Johnson (hamstring) and Ivan Perisic (knee).
Tottenham should have Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso back on the bench after groin and quad issues respectively.
Postecoglou said: “If we win we go top of the table for 24 hours but who cares? We’ve got to win.
“It’s a tough game, our focus is on putting on a performance and playing at our best because if we don’t, it won’t matter where we’re sitting on the competition ladder, it’ll be us focusing on a poor performance.”
Pep Guardiola is grappling with a midfield conundrum for Manchester City’s visit to an Arsenal side he believes have established themselves among the Premier League elite once again.
While Guardiola issued a positive update over the injured Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian will be missing for Sunday’s clash while midfield general Rodri serves the last game of a three-match domestic ban.
Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic have been deployed in the holding role in the Spaniard’s absence although City lost on both occasions – at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and at Wolves in the league.
Guardiola lamented how difficult Rodri is to replace and will decide closer to kick-off how best to plug the gap in a fixture many observers view as significant in the title race.
“(Rodri is) maybe the best or in the top two or three best holding midfielders in the world,” Guardiola said. “He’s not here and we’ll have to find a solution with our players and how we want to play.
“When you have an absence as important as him you have to have a solution. I am not going to deny how important Rodri is, like how Kevin is, but when they are not here we cannot start to cry.
“He is not here, we will find solutions and decide how we are going to press and play.
“The moment in my mind when a player is not there, he is completely out and I don’t think about it. He is not there.”
Defeat at the Emirates Stadium would be the first time City have been beaten in successive league games since December 2018 – and Guardiola is wary of an Arsenal team managed by former protege Mikel Arteta.
Arteta, a former assistant of Guardiola’s at the Etihad Stadium, has led Arsenal out of the doldrums. The north London club endured a few years out of the top four but they were the closest challengers last season to City, finishing just five points adrift of Guardiola’s all-conquering treble winners.
The Gunners are now hot on the heels of current league leaders City and represent a stern test for a side bidding to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise 2-1 defeat at Molineux.
“Arsenal is back to where they were when they fought with Sir Alex (Ferguson’s Manchester United) team,” Guardiola said. “When I arrive here they were not there and now they are back.
“In the calendar you see when you have to go to the Emirates Stadium. The recruitment they have done is exceptional, with (Declan) Rice and (Kai) Havertz.
“Absolutely (they are City’s main title rivals), along with Liverpool from what we’ve seen.”
Guardiola confirmed John Stones is unavailable for selection this weekend – despite the centre-half being named in England’s squad for matches against Australia and Italy later this month.
“No, he’s not ready to play,” Guardiola said. “Maybe for the national team, but not us.”
De Bruyne is another absentee, with the 32-year-old sidelined since the opening game of the season in August after undergoing hamstring surgery that was expected to keep him out for up to four months.
While he is still a way off a first-team return, Guardiola is optimistic of having De Bruyne back sooner rather than later.
“Kevin comes in at different times, either before training or for his treatment,” Guardiola said.
“After training he sees physios and so on. Of course I see him every day and he’s getting better, and his mood is good. Hopefully sooner than expected he will be back.”
Erik Ten Hag admits Manchester United’s level of play since winning the Carabao Cup has been unacceptable.
The Red Devils take on Brentford on Saturday looking to avoid a run of three successive defeats for the second time this season.
But results had already tailed off at the end of the last campaign, with Ten Hag’s win percentage dropping from 69 per cent prior to the victory over Newcastle at Wembley to around 50 per cent since.
The positivity that had accompanied the Dutchman’s first season in charge has rapidly evaporated, and he said: “We dropped in levels. We have to get back to those levels.
“There are reasons for it but still it’s not acceptable and we have to fight against it. Every team we put out has to be on one page and the routines are not always there. They have a good foundation in the way they play, keep the foundation, support each other and we will do better.”
United have endured another miserable week, with a Premier League loss to Crystal Palace followed by a 3-2 home defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League, where goalkeeper Andre Onana again struggled.
Ten Hag believes his side are being punished for lapses, saying: “Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with.
“In parts of the game, I will say in big parts of the game, we do a lot of things right but then there are moments where we are struggling and in such moments we can’t survive.
“In this moment, you have to do the right things, so be consistent and do the job, be consistent in the communication, and when you do that you keep the right organisation and do it like before.
“Definitely you can mark such a moment as when we score a goal or concede a goal and when decisive moments go against us, we lose a bit as a team. Over big parts, in 95 per cent of the game, we are a team, so keep going all the way through and we have to step up.
“Most important in such moments is you keep on one page and it starts with communication.”
Rasmus Hojlund’s double against Galatasaray was the bright spot but Marcus Rashford again struggled.
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The England forward has gone seven matches without a goal for club and country, with his only effort so far this season coming against Arsenal at the beginning of September.
Ten Hag has no doubt it is just a blip, though, saying: “It’s normal you are not always right at the same levels. Everyone knows the qualities of him and if Rashy does the things right and the team does, it’s up to him.
“We have seen in the last weeks he is coming in good positions, he is struggling, but it will pass. Everyone knows the qualities, everyone at Man United backs him, the whole team supports him and believes in him, I am sure with that it will change and this will pass.
“Strikers, when they don’t score for a moment, they need one goal, then they step over. When he is doing the right things, and he is doing the right things, the momentum will come and he will be on fire.”
Antony could make his return to Premier League action having coming off the bench against Galatasaray but Jadon Sancho remains out of the picture.
Leading 1000 Guineas contender Fallen Angel is set to sidestep next weekend’s bet365 Fillies’ Mile and be put away until next season.
The daughter of Too Darn Hot has won three of her four starts to date, her only defeat coming at the hands of Shuwari in the Star Stakes at Sandown in July.
Karl Burke’s filly bounced back to winning ways with a dominant success in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket before striking Group One gold in last month’s Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
A potential rematch with Shuwari on the Rowley Mile looked to be on the cards, but connections of Fallen Angel feel their filly has done enough for this season and they will now spend the winter dreaming of Classic glory next spring.
“I’d say she is unlikely to run again this year and will just head straight for a Guineas next year,” said Joe Foley, racing manager for owners Clipper Logistics.
“We were always planning to give her just four runs this year. If she hadn’t won the Moyglare we would have targeted the Fillies’ Mile, but she’s already a Group One winner at two now and she’s a big filly with lots of scope for next year, so we don’t want to interfere with that.
“We’ve decided to let her off and give her a break, so she’s not going to run in the Fillies’ Mile and she was never going to a Breeders’ Cup this year.”
On whether Fallen Angel could have a prep run before running in the 1000 Guineas next year, Foley added: “We’ll see how she goes and leave that to Karl. Going straight to the Newmarket Guineas was the original plan, but that could change.”
Celtic captain Callum McGregor has urged his team-mates to show they are hurting from their Champions League disappointment and take their frustration out on Kilmarnock.
Brendan Rodgers’ side thought they had gone in front late on through Luis Palma against Lazio on Wednesday, only for an offside decision to against them following a lengthy VAR check.
Their pain was exacerbated by conceding a goal five minutes into stoppage time as Pedro sealed a 2-1 win for the Italians.
Celtic are looking to bounce back at home to Killie on Saturday and extend their lead at the top of the cinch Premiership.
McGregor said: “There is only one thing guaranteed in football and that’s disappointment so the team that handles disappointment the best is generally the team that will go and be successful.
“So we have to show that, we have to show that we are hurt, recover well and come Saturday we put on a performance of high-energy, high-intensity football and show people that we are hurting, because we definitely did enough to deserve something out of the game on Wednesday night.
“Handling disappointment is part of football so we need to get back on the horse on Saturday.”
It was a second Champions League defeat for Celtic and their only domestic loss of the season, which came in the Viaplay Cup at Rugby Park, is on McGregor’s mind ahead of the visit of Derek McInnes and his team.
“You keep notes of those ones where you either drop points or you get beat,” the midfielder said.
“We want to try and put the record straight, for sure that will be on our mind come Saturday.”
New VAR guidelines introduced in the wake of the controversy involving Liverpool will be in use in the Premier League this weekend.
Miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to a Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool being wrongly disallowed for offside at Tottenham last Saturday.
Audio of the incident was released on Tuesday, with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) saying it would develop a new VAR communication protocol in an effort to avoid similar mistakes being made in future.
The PA news agency understands that protocol will now be in force right away.
PGMOL said the protocol would “enhance the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team in relation to on-field decisions”.
VARs will now also confirm the outcome of the checking process with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials.
England mistakenly thought the on-field officials had ruled Diaz to be onside, which meant that when he told them ‘check complete’ they believed he had upheld their on-field decision and restarted play with a free-kick.
Once play had restarted, there was nothing the VARs could do to revisit the decision under existing protocols.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called for the match to be replayed on Wednesday, something the Premier League is understood not to be prepared to consider.
The league did release a statement on Tuesday, though, saying the Diaz incident had highlighted “systemic weaknesses” in the VAR process and said a wider review would take place “to seek consistently higher standards of VAR performance”.
PGMOL and the Football Association will also review the policy allowing English officials to cover domestic league matches overseas.
England and his assistant Daniel Cook had been part of a team of officials who had taken charge of a match in the United Arab Emirates on September 28, arriving back in the UK the following morning.
Ireland and Scotland are preparing for a pivotal Rugby World Cup qualification shootout in Paris.
Progression to the quarter-finals from Pool B is on the line for both sides on Saturday evening at Stade de France.
Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the major talking points.
The permutations – who needs what?
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One of the top five teams in the world is set to be eliminated from the tournament. Barring an unlikely result in the French capital, it will be Ireland, ranked number one, or Scotland, ranked fifth, who bite the dust. Ireland are firmly in the driving seat for qualification. All Andy Farrell’s team need to qualify is a losing bonus point while denying the Scots a winning bonus. That scenario would be enough for the Irish to finish top of the pool ahead of South Africa. The Scots face a far taller order. Gregor Townsend’s side must win with a bonus point (by scoring at least four tries) or by denying their opponents a losing bonus.
Springboks made to sweat
South African eyes will also be firmly fixed on what promises to be a tense affair. The reigning champions completed their pool-stage fixtures last weekend but, due to a quirk in the tournament regulations, could still crash out if all three nations end level on 15 points. For that improbable scenario to materialise, Scotland would need to win by 21 points or more and record a bonus point, with Ireland collecting a single losing bonus point. Talk of conspiracy theories and possible collusion was immediately put to Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber, who expressed hope there would be no “match-fixing”. Never one to shy away from mind games, South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus claimed his side were in the preferential position.
Decade of dominance
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If Scotland are to upset the odds, they must snap an eight-match losing streak against their rivals stretching back to 2017. Ireland have dominated the fixture across the past decade, winning 12 of the last 13 meetings, including a 27-3 pool-stage success at the last World Cup and a 22-7 triumph en route to Six Nations Grand Slam glory earlier this year. Ireland’s players have talked down the significance of that run of results and feel Townsend’s men have improved since being mastered at Murrayfield in March. Nevertheless, the last time Scotland registered a victory over the Irish which would be sufficient for progression this weekend was way back in 2007 – a 31-21 warm-up win ahead of the last World Cup to be staged in France.
Sexton versus Russell
In an intriguing sub-plot, two of the world’s leading number 10s will vie to dictate proceedings. Veteran Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has seamlessly returned from an absence of almost six months through injury and suspension to lead his side to three successive victories and become his country’s all-time leading points scorer along the way. The 2018 world player of the year is as dependable and fiercely competitive as ever and repeatedly delivers when it matters most. Scotland’s Finn Russell, meanwhile, has the ability to unlock a game in any given moment. The talismanic 31-year-old, who was preferred to Sexton for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour, may well be at the peak of his powers and will be out to conjure some magic when his nation needs it most.
Could gung-ho Scots spook the Irish?
Both sets of players have been in relaxed and confident mood when facing the media. The Scots, however, have been keen to stress that, as the less-fancied nation and the team with more to do, they have little to lose and that the pressure is all on Ireland. The Irish, of course, have proven in recent years that they can handle the heat of almost any situation. Yet this one is slightly different given the dynamics at play. Will the fact Ireland do not necessarily need to win the game take an edge off their play? And will Scotland, already renowned for their intent, go even more gung-ho than normal in search of early points? Captain Jamie Ritchie said his side will “fire all the bullets in their gun” and “won’t die wondering”. Townsend’s team, playing without inhibitions, could ask serious questions of the world’s number one team.
Ascot’s Jim Barry Cumberland Lodge Stakes has been a happy hunting ground for Shadwell down the years and they have a strong hand again this Saturday.
The likes of Mutamam, Nayef, Mubtaker, Mawatheeq, Laaheb, Hawaafez, Laraaib and Hukum have carried the famous blue and white silks to victory in this mile-and-a-half contest since the turn of the century.
Angus Gold, racing manager for Shadwell, said: “It’s a very good race for older staying horses and it comes at a nice time in the calendar, so we’ve always kept it in mind.”
This term, Jim Crowley has opted to partner the William Haggas-trained Al Aasy, who followed up a Haydock victory at this Group Three level by chasing home Irish Derby runner-up Adelaide River at Leopardstown when giving away 11lb.
“He ran very well at Leopardstown,” commented Gold. “He had to come from a long way back and the winner had already kicked on well.
“This horse is in good form and hopefully he can put in another good performance at Ascot.”
Benoit De La Sayette will get the leg-up on Israr for John and Thady Gosden in the same colours.
He was an impressive scorer in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket before faltering behind Bay Bridge at Kempton last time out.
“Everyone was of the same opinion that he just didn’t handle the all-weather; he just looked miserable on it,” stated Gold.
“It was a hot day, the surface got very sticky and he just hated it, so we’ll get him back on the turf and he should enjoy that a lot more.”
Stablemate Fortino, a multiple Group One winner in Chile, also struggled to get into the September Stakes and finished a well-beaten last of seven on his debut for the yard.
Al Qareem returned from 175 days off when bravely battling back to beat Bluestocking in the Listed-class Stand Cup Stakes at Chester last month.
“He’s come out of the race at Chester well and he will improve fitness-wise for that run,” said Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing.
“It is obviously a slight step up in grade and this will tell us if we go for another Group Three in three weeks’ time or think about the Prix Royal-Oak.”
L’Astronome was two and a half lengths back in third in that Roodee race on his first start for Hugo Palmer since switching from France, where he was a Group Two scorer at ParisLongchamp last summer.
Claymore has a Group Three course success in last season’s Hampton Court Stakes to his credit but has been hit by setbacks since then.
On his only start this term, the son of New Bay was tailed off behind Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown back in May, when it was reported that he bled from the nose.
Jane Chapple-Hyam is hoping her charge is back fit and well, though, and commented: “We’ve got to try and he’s been off the track a while.
“I would prefer it to be over a mile and a quarter, but he’s back on his winning track. There wasn’t much else for older horses.
“Neil Callan came in and rode him and liked what he rode and was pleased with him.
“He’s just had little niggles here and there, but we feel we have ironed them all out and he’s ready for a run.”
Euchen Glen took top honours in the 2020 renewal of this race when it was rerouted to York after the original Ascot fixture was abandoned due to waterlogging.
The 10-year-old was sixth behind Hamish in it 12 months ago for Jim Goldie and makes the long trip down from Scotland again.
Postileo earned this step up in class by landing the Lanark Silver Bell Handicap, Hamilton’s richest-ever prize, when fitted with cheekpieces for the first time.
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