Should Aidan O’Brien win the Coral-Eclipse for a seventh time with Paddington on Saturday, he will have created yet another piece of Turf history.

Currently he shares the record with Alec Taylor Jnr, famed as the ‘Wizard of Manton’ due to his success in the early 20th century, and Sir Michael Stoute.

O’Brien admitted the Eclipse – a race named after the horse whose footprint on the sport is still around today with his long-distance descendants – was vitally important in his early career.

His first winner, Giant’s Causeway, is regularly brought up in discussions of O’Brien’s best horses.

It was already his fifth race of the season and his first against older horses and 10 furlongs, having just won the St James’s Palace Stakes, and O’Brien is clearly keen to take advantage of the weight-for-age concession the Classic generation receive, given four of his six winners have been three.

“The Eclipse is obviously a very prestigious race for a stallion. It’s the first time the generations really meet and everybody gets a feel of where they all are,” he said.

“The people gone before us have always got it fairly right with the weight-for-age scale. Obviously a three-year-old is not usually as mature as the older horses yet, but as the year goes on it levels up.

“The Eclipse is a very prestigious race to win, Sandown is a good track that is always very well maintained and you get a good picture of where you’re going after.”

Paddington is following a similar route to the Eclipse as Giant’s Causeway, having taken in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes before running at Sandown.

“Paddington is a three-year-old and he’s running in a lot of the races that Giant’s Causeway ran in as well, but it’s just the way it worked out,” said O’Brien.

Another three-year-old to score for Ballydoyle two years ago was St Mark’s Basilica, who was also by the same sire, Siyouni.

“Paddington is out of a Montjeu mare whereas St Mark’s was out of a Galileo mare, but they are both by Siyouni,” said O’Brien.

“Paddington can quicken, he’s a miler that can quicken but then St Mark’s did that as well.

“I think he’s only the second Siyouni we’ve had this far among the colts, we’ve a few more two-year-olds by him but they are the only others.

“We’ve won the Eclipse with some of great horses. So You Think was an unbelievable horse really, and he’s still at stud now and doing very well.

“Hawk Wing was a big powerful horse who had run in the Guineas and Derby, St Mark’s was very good and obviously Giant’s Causeway was very important to us.

“He was our first really good horse at that level and I remember George (Duffield) giving him an unbelievable ride. Pat Eddery was riding Kalanisi for Sir Michael and they were second, a great race.

“They are the days you don’t forget and they were very important days for us.”

When asked how early in the season he would identify a horse for the Eclipse, O’Brien said: “We enter them in all the big races. In Paddington’s case we were going to Goodwood (Sussex Stakes), but he was so fresh and well after Ascot, he started doing a few bits of work.

“The Eclipse is always an option. When the lads discussed it with us we said he could probably take it in with his well-being and when we spoke to Ryan (Moore) we decided to let him do it.”

Mitch Marsh took advantage of England’s sloppy catching to smash a brutal century and change the game on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

The home side had started this must-win match with fire in their belly and were well on top when Marsh, making his first appearance in almost four years as an injury replacement, nicked Chris Woakes to slip with just 12 to his name.

Had Joe Root taken the regulation chance just after lunch Australia would have been in trouble on 98 for five, but Marsh made him pay in full as he powered them to 240 for five at tea.

Marsh batted with unfettered aggression after his reprieve, flaying 17 fours and four sixes as he racked up 118 at exactly a run-a-ball.

The pain finally stopped for England in the last over before the break, Woakes getting his man as an inside edge looped to Zak Crawley via the thigh pad, but significant damage had already been done.

England had dictated terms in the first session, Mark Wood turning in an electrifying burst of breakneck speed to whip up the Leeds crowd and Stuart Broad striking twice, but ultimately their hands let them down.

As well as Root reprieving Marsh, two chances slipped through the grasp of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. Back in the spotlight after his controversial stumping at Lord’s sparked a row about the spirit of cricket, Bairstow saw two chances go down.

The first was a tricky take off Steve Smith but the second should have been a simple catch off Travis Head, who had nine and went on to reach 39no.

The FA Cup will be “forever diminished” if a deal is done with the Premier League over the sale of the competition’s overseas rights, according to a member of the Culture, Media and Sport parliamentary committee.

The PA news agency understands the Football Association is considering a long-term arrangement where the Premier League sells the international rights to the FA Cup bundled alongside its own rights, with a view to a collective deal netting more money for both parties.

Labour MP Clive Efford, who sits on the CMS committee which took evidence from the FA and the Premier League on football regulation in March, believes such a deal would place undue control over the FA Cup in the Premier League’s hands.

“The Premier League has shown its contempt for the FA Cup in the past,” Efford told the PA news agency.

“Why would anyone who has any concern about the future of the FA Cup put the Premier League in charge of it?

“(The FA Cup) is not a competition that (Premier League clubs) value. They prefer the Premier League, the Champions League, that’s what it boils down to. The FA Cup will be forever diminished.

“We (the CMS committee) can ask football to come in and talk to us about it, if we choose to do it.

“I think this is a big issue – it’s the death knell of the FA Cup and the status of the FA Cup.”

The Premier League, FA and EFL have been in separate dialogue over a ‘New Deal For Football’ over the last 18 months which has included talks on the football calendar.

Within that, the possibility of scrapping FA Cup replays amid the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions from the 2024-25 season is understood to be under discussion.

The Premier League and the FA have not commented on the tender process.

PA understands the process will run until July 17.

The Infront Sports and Media agency said in a statement issued earlier this week it had been selected as the preferred bidder for a portion of the overseas FA Cup rights in early May following the original tender process, but was told by the FA negotiations were being paused because of a third-party offer it had to assess.

Infront said it was considering its legal options and that the FA’s actions “set a dangerous precedent for future tender processes in the industry”.

Efford added: “The FA has to act in the interests of the wider football pyramid and whatever it thinks it might get in the short term in terms of a contract for the coverage of the FA Cup, we’re putting the future status of the competition in the hands of people who’ve shown in the past that they find it a burden on their time.

“(The FA) are just completely in the thrall of the Premier League and I don’t think that’s good for the long-term future the game.”

Roger Teal’s Ocean Wind returns after 771 days out of action in the Coral Marathon at Sandown on Friday.

The gelding, now a seven-year-old, was a high-class bumper horse who made the switch to the Flat after finishing sixth behind Ferny Hollow in the 2020 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

His first Flat term was a success as he won a couple of valuable handicaps, including the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket, and in 2021 he stepped up a grade to finish second in the Listed Further Flight Stakes and second again in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot – a Group Three in which he came within a length of staying hero Stradivarius.

Injury curtailed that season after his third in the Henry II Stakes and he has not been seen on course since, meaning his return to racing for Sandown’s two-mile Listed event comes after an unusually lengthy absence.

“He’s been off for a couple of years so it’ll be good to see him back on the track,” said Teal.

“He’s bound to be a bit rusty after being off for so long, he’s not the most enthusiastic work horse and he’s a bit lazy at home but he always seems to wake up on the track.

“He’s as fit as we can get him and obviously he’ll come on 100 per cent for the run.

“It’s a nice little race for him and hopefully he can run well, come on for the run and we can go forward from that.

“You’ve got to take into account that it’s such a long time off, he saves a bit for himself so you can’t really assess him quite as well as you’d want to.

“Hopefully he puts his best foot forward on Friday and runs a solid race.”

Ocean Wind will cross paths with Godolphin’s Yibir, a multiple Group winner who was most recently sixth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Trainer Charlie Appleby said via the Godolphin website: “We have been happy with Yibir since the Gold Cup, which was a good first effort over a proper staying trip.

“We were encouraged with what we saw that day and dropping back to two miles should suit. If he can build on his last run, he should be very competitive.”

There is further Listed action on the card in the five-furlong Dragon Stakes, where Sean Woods’ Nazalan looks to back up a course and distance success last time out.

The chestnut was third on his debut and then won smartly in Esher on the next time of asking, with both the runner-up and the sixth-placed horse from that event going on to win again since.

Woods said: “He’s an uncomplicated little horse, he’s been training very well and it’s a natural progression to go back to the Dragon Stakes as he handled Sandown very well last time.

“He’s a very straightforward colt, Tom (Marquand) rode him first time up at Nottingham so he rides him again and we’re looking forward to it.

“The runner-up from Sandown (Notta Nother) has gone out and won and the sixth-placed horse of Roger Varian’s (Markakol) has as well so it looks a pretty good form line.”

Opposing Nazalan will be Alice Haynes’ Hala Emaraaty, a Kodiac colt who beat Mick Appleby’s Big Evs in a Redcar novice in May.

Both horses headed next for the Windsor Castle at Ascot, where Big Evs was the winner but Hala Emaraaty still ran with credit to finish seventh of 23.

“He came out of the Windsor Castle great, obviously a couple of these he beat in the Windsor Castle and there’s a couple to beat,” said Haynes.

“Ideally we did want to step him up to six, but the stiff five will definitely suit him and we’re hoping for another big run.

“The form is all there, I know he turned that round in the Windsor Castle but I definitely feel like it’s worth taking a shot at this race.

“He was flat out all the way, he’s a tough horse who handles his races well and it’s great to be going there with a live chance.”

The third Listed race of the day at the Esher venue is the 10-furlong Davies Insurance Solutions Gala Stakes.

Sure to be popular will be Wolferton Stakes fifth Saga, trained by John and Thady Gosden and owned by the King and Queen. Ryan Moore takes over from the suspended Frankie Dettori.

Following him in the market is Simon and Ed Crisford’s Poker Face, who finished down the field with a luckless run in the Wolferton but has Group form under his belt from earlier this season.

Ed Crisford said: “Poker Face was slightly disappointing in the Wolferton but he was quite far back that day and not much was coming from further back off what was a strong pace. You can put a line through that.

“He is a lightly-raced horse that is climbing up the ladder and he has been very well since that run. There is a small field for this race as well and he has to have a chance in it.”

Woods is represented by Savvy Victory, another who was also well beaten in the Wolferton but this time due to interference.

“He was very unlucky at Ascot, he got knocked over when he was making his run,” the trainer said.

“Any rain will help him, I’m very happy with him.

“He got blocked at Kempton (Magnolia Stakes) and he got beaten a length at Chester, but he stays in really good form and we’re looking forward to running him. Hpefully there’ll be a few more showers before Friday.”

Chris Honour said he would “never tell someone not to win” as he revealed his family have been caught up in the fall-out of the controversial performance of Hillsin at Worcester on Wednesday evening.

Hillsin was making his first start for Honour in the two-and-a-half mile conditional riders’ handicap hurdle and looked to have a fine chance of notching his first career victory in the hands of conditional Dylan Kitts when moving into contention up the home straight.

However, the five-year-old finished third beaten a length and a half, with the run coming under close scrutiny from the raceday stewards who held an inquiry and subsequently referred Kitts to the British Horseracing Authority, with the horse suspended from running for 40 days.

Speaking to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Thursday, Honour said: “I’m beside myself about the whole thing. I’ve had phone calls to my wife last night and she’s been in tears. I’m upset with it and it is not something I want to be involved in.

“In my mind I did my job right, the horse has run one of the best races of his career, to the point where I don’t want to be dropping the jockey in trouble – he’s messed up, he’s a 7lb claimer – but I told him not to let go of his head and he’s gone to an extreme. In my mind, if he was to look back this morning I’m sure he would be disappointed with the ride he has given it. It’s a disappointing scenario to be dealing with quite frankly.

“Reading Twitter and Facebook is horrible for us and my family and it is not something I want to be associated with. I did my best with the horse in my mind and I’ve ridden him every day myself. He’s gone there in great shape, run a lovely race, it’s just a very disappointing outcome.

“I love horses and I love them like they are my family to a certain extent, but with him this morning, I’ve gone and fed him and I looked at him and thought you’ve caused one of the worst days in my racing career.

“It upsets me. We don’t stop horses, it’s not our thing, people say it happens in racing and it does but it’s not what we do. We try to think outside the box about how we ride our horses and how to campaign them. I train horses slightly different to other people, but I do believe I have created a good environment where our horses can run above their weight.

“I would never tell someone not to win, it’s not even fair to ask someone not to win, at the end of the day lads go out there with their neck on the line. I don’t want people to think bad or ill of us because it’s not us and it’s not what we do. But I cannot dispute it looks awful.”

Kitts had ridden Hillsin on his last two starts for his previous trainer, but it was the first time that he had linked up with Honour, who said he would have liked Bryan Carver to ride the gelding in ideal circumstances.

“I wanted Bryan on and I want Bryan on all my horses,” he added.

“I spoke to the agents and said I want Bryan on this horse and the owners have said they want Dylan.

“I don’t know Dylan, I had never met him or spoken to him until yesterday when giving him the instructions to go out and drop him in, take your time and keep hold of his head.

“From there I can’t ride the race for him. I feel sorry for the lad, he’s done as I have asked, but he’s done it to an extreme that isn’t enough.

“People are saying we have stopped it, but that’s not me, I haven’t stopped it and it is against my ethos of how we run and train our horses. We have punched above our weight and hopefully we will get to the bottom of it with the investigation with the BHA.

“I’m embarrassed, I’m embarrassed for my team at home, they don’t deserve this, they work really hard.”

Barry Robson believes new goalkeeper Ross Doohan will be an “important asset” to Aberdeen.

The 25-year-old has joined the Dons on a two-year deal from EFL League Two side Forest Green to become Robson’s sixth summer signing.

After graduating through the youth ranks at Celtic, Doohan had a loan spells at Ayr, Ross County and Dundee United before he joined Tranmere in 2021, initially on loan, before making the move permanent.

Doohan, capped 13 times at Scotland Under-21 level, earned a move to Forest Green in January 2023.

“Despite his age, Ross has gained a lot of experience, at various levels both here in Scotland and in England,”  Robson said.

“He is composed and decisive and we look forward to helping Ross continue his professional development.

“We’ve got a significant number of fixtures to play this season so I am sure Ross will be an important asset for us and will be an excellent addition to the fantastic group of goalkeepers we have here at Aberdeen.”

Doohan has joined the first team at their pre-season training camp in Portugal and is keen to hit the ground running

He said: “I’m very happy to be here. As soon as I heard of the interest, I was keen to get it agreed quickly.

“When I spoke to the manager and Craig Samson, they both re-emphasised everything I knew about how big a club Aberdeen is.

“I know it’s going to be a massive season with European matches to look forward to and it was just an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“Being here at such a big club is only going to benefit me in the long-term in terms of my development so I am just eager to get started and play a part in helping to deliver success for Aberdeen.”

Levi Colwill will not be leaving Chelsea this summer in spite of continued interest from Liverpool and Brighton, the PA news agency understands.

The club are not willing to entertain offers for the 20-year-old defender, who starred for England Under-21s as they beat Israel 3-0 on Wednesday to advance to the European Championship final in Georgia.

He is currently contracted to Chelsea until the summer of 2024 with an option of another year if certain criteria are met.

Colwill spent last season on loan at Brighton where he made 22 appearances and established himself as a Premier League player as the Seagulls qualified for Europe.

Brighton had been keen to sign the defender permanently, but PA understands Chelsea are not prepared to listen to offers, including from Jurgen Klopp’s side who reportedly made a fresh enquiry this week.

It is also understood that Christian Pulisic’s proposed move to AC Milan is yet to be agreed with the two clubs still apart with their valuation of the player.

The United States international is surplus to requirements under Mauricio Pochettino and has also been the subject of interest from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The French side have offered something closer to Chelsea’s valuation but it is believed the 24-year-old favours a move to San Siro.

The club confirmed on Thursday that Cesar Azpilicueta has ended his 11-year stay in west London – with the 33-year-old reportedly having agreed a return to Spain to join Atletico Madrid.

It means one of Pochettino’s first tasks as manager will be to appoint a new captain, with regular stand-in from last season Mateo Kovacic having been sold to Manchester City.

Azpilicueta made more than 500 appearances for the club since joining from Marseille in 2012 and established himself as a favourite at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League in 2015 and 2017 as well as leading the side to victory in the Champions League in 2021.

An FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League winner, he appeared in a club-record 13 major cup finals.

Co-controlling owner Todd Boehly told the club’s website: “Coaches and team-mates past and present have trusted (Azpilicueta) to lead by example as captain.

“He has done so immaculately on and off the pitch, something for which we are grateful.”

Former England captain Clare Connor said the creation of the Women’s Ashes trophy was “like a fairytale” as Lord’s prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event.

The Ashes were created by burning bats signed by both England and Australia teams along with a copy of the Women’s Cricket Association rulebook in the Harris Garden at Lord’s in 1998.

It marked a special moment for the current ECB deputy chief executive officer and managing director England Women, who was 21 at the time and remembers the ceremony taking place with the help of a wok grabbed from the MCC kitchen.

“The ceremony was amazing, it was like a little fairytale,” Connor told the PA news agency.

“They built like a makeshift set of bricks in a square raised like a foot off the ground and we were in the Harris Garden with the teams on both sides.

“They got a wok from the MCC kitchen and the Ashes were created from the burning of the old Women’s Cricket Association rule book and miniature bats signed on both sides by Australia and England, so I was one of those signatures.

“There was some other bits of flammable stuff put in there to get it going and there was a little fire.

“The end result was a handful of ashes that then got housed in a really simple, humble, smallish size of a cricket ball trophy.”

The trophy remained intact up until the introduction of the multi-format Ashes series in 2013, but the ball can still be seen inside the new award.

Lord’s will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its creation on Saturday ahead of England’s final T20 clash against Australia.

A range of guests, including some of those involved in the original ceremony, will be in attendance for the unveiling of a plaque by MCC president Stephen Fry at the Harris Garden.

“It was still unbelievably special and wonderful for us back then to be part of Ashes cricket,” said Connor, who believes women’s cricket has come a long way in 25 years.

“To be writing our names in a little piece of women’s cricket history through the creation of that trophy and our own sort of burning, creating our own physical ashes because we didn’t have any.

“There’s something really poignant about that looking back.

“Compare that day in summer of 1998 with Saturday in the summer of 2023 and they’re almost unrecognisable sports really.”

Saturday’s match is being held in partnership with the MCC Foundation in tribute to its ongoing work to promote women and girls’ cricket, reaching thousands each year as part of its cricket projects.

England kept the Women’s Ashes alive with a thrilling three-run victory at the Oval on Wednesday night to tie the T20 contests.

However, they still trail 6-2 in the series and, with three ODI matches to come, the hosts need to win their remaining games to stand a chance of reclaiming the trophy.

Connor, who won the 2005 Ashes, added: “If the crowd on Saturday get to experience what anybody has experienced so far this week at Edgbaston and the Oval then we’re all in for such a treat and another inspiring occasion.”

Tickets for the England v Australia Metro Bank Women’s T20 international at Lord’s are available from lords.org

Joe Hart lavished praise on Kyogo Furuhashi as he described his delight about the Japan striker’s decision to extend his time at Celtic.

The 28-year-old attacker has scored 54 goals in 83 games since signing from Vissel Kobe in 2021 to become a huge fans’ favourite at Parkhead and is now tied to the treble winners until 2027 after signing a new four-year deal earlier in the week.

Speaking at Lennoxtown, where he was promoting James Forrest’s testimonial match against LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao next month, veteran goalkeeper Hart said of Furuhashi’s new contract: “It’s huge, what a great bit of news that is.

“I love him as a person, he’s a beautiful person and he’s an exceptional footballer.

“He has been brilliant since he came in and really shone for us last year in big moments and he really sets the tone for a high-pressing, exciting football team.

“He’s loved here. And obviously he’s felt that because he’s wanted to commit a real important time in his career to this club and we appreciate that.

“I think the statement of the club is that if you want to be here and you’re playing well then you’re welcome. And if you don’t, then we’ll look for someone who does.”

Hart is also impressed by new boss Brendan Rodgers, who has returned to Celtic for a second time as boss after Ange Postecoglou departed for Tottenham.

He said: “We’ve been we’ve only been together a couple of days now but you know he’s an exceptional guy.

“I’ve had run-ins in the past with him as an opponent and actually bumped into him a few times on holiday.

“He is a lovely person first and foremost, which is very important, and a very successful manager with huge drive.

“He laid it on the line, he actually stood here in front of us and let us know how proud he was with what we did last year, but that was last year.

“And we now need to build on it and try and improve and push each other.”

Hart was, perhaps unsurprisingly, less expansive when asked about friend and former England team-mate Jack Butland, who joined Old Firm rivals Rangers from Crystal Palace.

The 36-year-old former Manchester City goalkeeper, who signed for Celtic in 2021, said: “Good move for him. Obviously I go way back with Jack.

“I’m very respectful of the two clubs that we play for so I’m not really going to go into it but I’m happy that he’s found a home.

“I have spoken to him. We’re going to we share the same city but, as I say, I’ve got a lot of respect for what goes on between the two clubs and I’m sure he’s going to go and do his thing and I’ll try and do mine.”

The highly-decorated Forrest came through the youth ranks at Celtic before making his first team debut in 2010.

Hart said: “I’ve not been on the journey with James, but I’ve certainly shared a dressing room with him for the last two years and you wouldn’t think that this guy is the guy that is one of the most decorated and one of the most successful (at Celtic) – a quadruple treble winner right?

“He’s a superb person, someone that I’ve loved sharing the dressing room with.

“What a moment for  himself and his family and I really hope I’m going to be a part of it. It’ll be a great night.”

Jan Choinski has targeted a Wimbledon return next year but wants to get there in his own right.

German-born Choinski, the son of an English ballet dancer, was handed a debut wild card and rewarded tournament organisers with an impressive first-round win against world number 56 Dusan Lajovic.

But his fun ended on Thursday when his former doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz won a tight match 6-4 6-4 7-6 (3) on Court 18.

The 26-year-old, who changed his nationality to British in 2019 and is ranked 164th in the world, got the taste for SW19 and wants a 2024 repeat.

“I would be very happy coming back next year,” he said. “Maybe even without needing a wild card for the main draw, try my best to get my ranking to a position where I can enter the tournament by myself.”

Asked whether he has proven he can produce at the top level, he replied: “Yes, I think so. I mean, I played a very good first match.

“I kept it as close as possible. Also having chances to win a set off a guy (Hurkacz) that’s top 20, previously been top 10 in the world, played semi-finals here as well, ended Roger’s (Federer) career at Wimbledon.

“It doesn’t get much better than his level in terms of tennis and grass-court tennis.

“Keeping the match quite close and having my chances to take a set off him, as well, is just positive.

“I couldn’t thank the people more that gave me the opportunity to play in this tournament. I feel it has to do with a lot of trust, as well, trusting me that I’ve got the level to compete at this level. Yeah, just want to say huge thanks.

“I have learnt a lot during the past couple of days. I think just going to take out all the positive bits, and also super happy about winning my first grand slam match.”

Choinski was always up against it, saving break points early on, but Hurkacz, who made the 2021 semi-finals at SW19, kept knocking on the door and crucially made the breakthrough at 4-4 and then served the first set out.

The second set followed an identical pattern with a key break at 4-4 putting Hurkacz in firm control.

After saving several break points throughout the third set, Choinski’s moment came at 6-5 when he had three set points at 0-40 on Hurkacz’s serve, but he could not convert them.

With that his chance disappeared as the Pole dominated the tie-break to seal a straight-sets win and book his spot in the third round.

He added: “I felt like I was playing good tennis. The match was very competitive. We played over two hours. I think the first two sets were decided each by one break.

“I tried my best. You know, unlucky that I got broken twice at 4-4. Then in the third set when I had the three set points, I’m sad about not making those, but that’s tennis. That’s life.”

Lewis Hamilton has said he would welcome a protest from Just Stop Oil campaigners at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

The climate activists targeted Wimbledon on Wednesday and have caused disruption at the Lord’s Ashes Test, the Premiership rugby final and the World Snooker Championship so far this year.

Asked ahead of Sunday’s race, if he would support a protest which did not involve people invading the track, Hamilton said: “Yes. I support peaceful protests.”

Five people invaded last year’s British Grand Prix after they stormed the Wellington Straight – the fastest point of the Northamptonshire track – before sitting down during the opening lap.

The contest had already been suspended following Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu’s high-speed crash, but a number of cars sped by the group before they were dragged away by marshals. The protesters were handed suspended jail sentences in March.

Silverstone has worked alongside Northamptonshire Police to beef up security ahead of this year’s event, with a record 480,000 people expected to attend over the weekend, and 150,000 fans in place for the race.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton added: “We are hoping we have learnt from the experience (of last year).

“We have 100 more marshals this weekend which will be supportive to make sure it doesn’t happen.

“From my perspective, and my teams’ perspective, we are focused on sustainability and we believe in what people (the protesters) are fighting for and we are making those changes as a sport.

“But safety is key. We don’t want to put them in harm’s way and we don’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way. If there was to be one (a protest) we hope it is not on track.”

Earlier this week, McLaren driver Lando Norris told Just Stop Oil campaigners that they would be “stupid and selfish” to put lives in danger by protesting

But Williams’ London-born Alex Albon believes an attack is likely. “There is a high chance of something happening this week,” he said.

“It is a concern because a pitch invasion is one thing but with cars and moving parts it gets a bit more dangerous to some extent.”

Aidan O’Brien has mapped out a three-race plan for his unbeaten juvenile River Tiber.

The Wootton Bassett colt looked something out the ordinary when scoring by 10 lengths on his racecourse debut at Navan in April and doubled up at Naas the following month.

Having completed his hat-trick in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, River Tiber heads ante-post lists for next year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas and looks set to step up in trip before the season is out.

For now, though, O’Brien is happy to stick to six furlongs, with the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 12 next on his star two-year-old’s agenda.

“Everything is good and the plan at the moment is to go to the Heinz (Phoenix) at the Curragh,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“He’s just having a little bit of an easy time, but that’s what we’re thinking at the moment, staying at six furlongs, and if everything went well then he could step up to seven in the National Stakes.

“If that went well, he could go on to the Dewhurst, so they are the three races that are on his programme at the moment. Obviously it can all change very quickly.”

O’Brien also provided an update on Luxembourg after connections decided against allowing him to join stablemate Paddington in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

He added: “He was only going to be a possible for the Eclipse if Paddington didn’t run, he is in the King George and he’ll be trained for that, I think.

“We’re looking at that for Auguste Rodin as well obviously and I would imagine if Auguste is going there Luxembourg might have to stand back again.

“We’ll wait and see, but at the moment he (Luxembourg) is on the King George programme.”

Stan Wawrinka will lock horns again with old rival Novak Djokovic in the third round at Wimbledon.

Wawrinka, 38, defeated 29th seed Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the last 32 at the All England Club for the first time since 2015.

The Swiss veteran has won only six of their 26 previous meetings but two of those came in grand slam finals, at the French Open in 2015 and the US Open the following year, while he has also beaten him at the Australian Open.

They have played only twice since, with Wawrinka facing a long road back after knee and foot surgeries, but he has finally returned to the top 100 and will take on Djokovic for the first time on grass.

“I will enjoy it if I don’t get killed,” he said with a smile. “I’m quite happy to have the chance to play against him on grass at least one time before I finish playing. It’s going to be a big challenge. Hopefully I can play a high level and be competitive.”

The match will be the oldest combined age for a men’s singles match at Wimbledon since Ken Rosewall faced Barry Phillips-Moore in 1974.

Djokovic, 36, is now on a 30-match winning streak at Wimbledon and will be a big favourite but he will be wary of the power of Wawrinka.

“He took away two grand slams from me,” said the seven-time Wimbledon champion.

“After several surgeries of his knees, he keeps going strong and trying to create some more history for himself and tennis. We cannot forget that he’s a three-time grand slam champion and Davis Cup winner and also Olympic gold. He had a fantastic career.

“One of the nicest one-handed backhands that I have ever played against, ever seen. Very powerful player. Very strong. Very complete. He can play equally well on all surfaces.”