Aberdeen midfielder Graeme Shinnie admits he was fired by a sense of injustice as his double helped the Dons return to Europe.

Shinnie netted twice in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over St Mirren as Aberdeen secured third spot, which will guarantee group stage football next term if Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.

The 31-year-old was returning from a four-match ban, which was extended because the club’s appeal against his red card against Ross County was deemed as having no prospect of success.

Shinnie had been suspended for five of Aberdeen’s previous seven games and was sent off in the other two, so he was determined to make his mark on Wednesday.

“That’s four games of frustration coming out,” he told RedTV.

“I went through the whole season without scoring. I think I have scored in every season that I have played in so far, so I am delighted to keep that run going. Bit selfish of the boys not to get me a penalty at the end for my hat-trick. My legs had gone at the end so I was struggling to push forward.

“The frustrating part of being out for so long, which I felt was unjust, was not being able to help the team and try to drive them forward.

“Coming into this game, having to win to finish third, it was my objective to drive the team on. Did I envisage scoring two goals? I wanted to but I didn’t expect it so I am absolutely over the moon to help the team.”

Shinnie admitted the Dons’ turnaround in fortunes under manager Barry Robson had been unthinkable.

Jim Goodwin lost his job after heavy defeats by Hearts and Hibernian sandwiched a huge Scottish Cup upset at Darvel, and Aberdeen were 10 points behind Hearts after losing to St Mirren in Robson’s first game in caretaker charge.

Wednesday’s victory sent them four points above the Jambos, with Saturday’s trip to Celtic Park now a dead rubber.

Shinnie said: “Who would have thought we would have been in this position in January? I can only speak so highly of the manager and the staff, how good they have been, and also the players.

“To react to one of the worst week’s in the club’s history, that’s what we had to react to, to where we are now, the third best team in the league, it’s an incredible turnaround. The hard work has paid off.

“The manager and staff have changed the style of football. It’s exciting football, there’s a lot of men pushing forward on the transition. It’s good to watch and it’s good to play in.”

Shinnie was coy when asked whether he would be part of the club’s European adventure. His loan spell from Wigan expires soon and he has a year left on his contract with the Latics.

“Well, I have got one more game to go first,” Shinnie said. “Like the manager always says, we will take one game at a time.”

Lee Johnson is looking for one final top-class Hibernian performance to leapfrog Edinburgh rivals Hearts into fourth place on Saturday.

The Jambos failed in their bid for third place in the cinch Premiership despite a 2-2 draw with Rangers at Ibrox on Wednesday night, with the result leaving them just two points ahead of Hibs, who beat champions Celtic 4-2 at Easter Road on the same evening.

Ahead of the final league game of the season, Johnson, whose side beat Hearts 1-0 last month in Leith for their first derby win in 10 attempts, urged a final push, albeit that both fourth and fifth will bring European spots if Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on June 3.

“It is a fantastic climax to the season and for us,” said Johnson, who is likely to be without CJ Egan-Riley after the defender suffered a knock against Celtic.

“That is the key. We are going to enjoy it. We are away from home, we will have our set of supporters there.

“We believe in ourselves. We beat Hearts in the last game so the form is there, which is good.

“It is a wonderful game for us. It is not one where I will have to delve deep into the motivational manual, that’s for sure. They will all be there, ready and up for it.

“It is one more round, one more round of big effort and obviously there is a big prize at the end of the day.

“The fact that they have the draw and the win on offer probably, potentially tweaks the mindset for them.

“For us, we know what we have to do. Straight shoot-out, we have to go and win the game. As simple as that. We are very clear in what we need to achieve.

“In reality, it is about us and about us delivering consistently good performances.

“What’s great is that we know what a good Hibs performance looks like now and we have done that numerous times throughout the year and we just have to find that again.

“There is one more round (of fixtures), two days’ recovery – find the performance lads.”

Meanwhile, Hibs have announced Gareth Evans as their new academy director.

The former Hibees player will complete the club’s football structure, working alongside director of football Brian McDermott, Johnson and chief executive Ben Kensell.

Evans told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to be trusted with this role and will continue to build and develop the club’s academy set-up.

“We have a lot of talented coaches and players at HTC, and I’m really passionate about developing young players. Hibs has a great tradition of that, and I want that to continue with the coaches and players at the club.”

Dundee United stand on the brink of the drop following Wednesday’s 3-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock.

To avoid automatic relegation from the cinch Premiership, United need to beat Motherwell at Fir Park and hope Killie beat Ross County on Sunday while gaining eight goals on the Staggies.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what has gone wrong in United’s third season back in the Premiership after finishing fourth last term.

Instability in the dugout

United have had six managers since American businessman Mark Ogren purchased a controlling stake in December 2018, and three this season alone. Jack Ross was sacked after just seven games in charge and his assistant, Liam Fox, was promoted before leaving the role in late February with Jim Goodwin taking charge until the end of the season. There was further change around the time Fox departed as sporting director Tony Asghar left his role.

European nightmare

United beat AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League in their first home match of the season but their campaign began to unravel during the return trip to the Netherlands when they conceded seven goals – six of them in a 25-minute spell. The shell-shock appears to have lasted and more heavy defeats have followed. United lost 3-0 at home to both St Mirren and Kilmarnock, suffered a club-record 9-0 home defeat by Celtic and were thrashed 4-0 by Ross County.

Goalkeeping problems

United signed one-cap Australia international Mark Birighitti from Central Coast Mariners to replace Celtic-bound Benjamin Siegrist but the 32-year-old has never really recovered from a poor start. Birighitti lost his place after conceding 11 goals in two matches but his replacement, Carljohan Eriksson, let in 12 in the next two games. Birighitti regained his place and United allowed Eriksson to join Nordsjaelland on loan in January without signing a replacement. Birighitti lost his place again after gifting St Johnstone a late winner but 21-year-old Jack Newman let in four goals in Dingwall on his full debut. Birighitti was again dropped following his part in a terrible opening goal for Livingston and Newman was back in goal on Wednesday night.

Lack of bite

United have a host of ball-playing midfielders including Ian Harkes, Jamie McGrath, Craig Sibbald, Peter Pawlett, Dylan Levitt and Arnaud Djoum but they have lacked a ball-winner in the centre of the park since losing Jeando Fuchs and then Calum Butcher. The problem appeared glaringly obvious as United crumbled in Alkmaar but with Asghar seemingly taking a significant role in player recruitment, nothing was done about it.

Where were the goals coming from?

United signed Tony Watt from Motherwell in January last year but he only managed one goal, against his former club, to add to the 10 goals he netted in claret and amber that season. They brought in former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher before the start of this campaign and sold Nicky Clark to St Johnstone. Watt struggled for game time before being allowed to join St Mirren on loan on the final day of the January window while he was locked on four league goals alongside Fletcher. The 36-year-old has since doubled his season tally but is the only experienced forward on the books with support coming from Rory McLeod, who turned 17 in February.

Leadership issues

Captain Ryan Edwards endured a struggle with his own form and has largely been out of the team since early February while 37-year-old Charlie Mulgrew admitted he found it a challenge to balance a coaching role with playing duties. The difficulties in turning around their fortunes have been evident within games and also during lengthy runs where negativity has lingered. United conceded 24 goals during a five-match losing streak in August, went 11 games without a win following a mini-revival after the World Cup and have now lost four matches on the trot after appearing to turn the corner with a hat-trick of wins.

Lewis Hamilton denied he has been offered a contract by Ferrari and expects to sign a new Mercedes deal “in the coming weeks”.

Hamilton’s future in the sport is under the spotlight with just six months to run on his current £40million-a-year deal.

It was reported the build-up to this week’s Monaco Grand Prix that Ferrari are preparing a bid to land Hamilton in a blockbuster transfer.

But when asked on Thursday if the Italian giants had been in touch, Hamilton replied: “No. When you are in contract negotiations there is always going to be speculation, and unless you hear it from me that is all it is.

“My team is working closely behind the scenes with [Mercedes team principal] Toto [Wolff], and we are almost at the end of having a contract ready.

“This is the first time that I have not been negotiating myself. I have a great team in the background that does the work and I focus on the job on hand.

“I say what I want and that is what we are working towards so hopefully in the coming weeks [it will be decided].”

Hamilton, 38, will get his first taste of a major Mercedes upgrade in practice on Friday which the seven-time world champion hopes will haul him up the grid.

Hamilton qualified 13th at the last race in Miami before driving well to finish sixth, but he is already 63 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the championship standings.

However, Hamilton insisted Mercedes’ dethroning as kings of the Formula One road will not impact his decision to re-sign with the Brackley side.

“We are still a championship-winning team,” added the British driver. “We have just had the wrong car, and there have been decisions that have been made over the past two years that have not been ideal. We are working our way through that.

“We have a new upgrade this weekend. The team have worked incredibly hard to bring this upgrade to this race after we decided that was the direction we wanted to take.

“Although this is not the best track to see it come to fruition, we will hopefully get a better experience of that at the next race.”

Novak Djokovic is on a collision course with world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open semi-finals.

At the draw in Paris, Djokovic, seeded third, was pulled out in the same half as the US Open champion from Spain, meaning they could meet in a blockbuster last-four showdown.

Alcaraz won their only other previous meeting, in Madrid last year.

Two-time winner Djokovic, looking for a 23rd grand slam title, faces American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round.

Alcaraz, 20, and second seed Daniil Medvedev will begin their campaigns against qualifiers.

British number one Cameron Norrie takes on unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire, and he could run into Alcaraz in the fourth round.

Dan Evans faces a tough opener against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jack Draper meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina.

They are the only three British players in the main draw at Roland Garros after Kyle Edmund, who has been beset by knee problems for the past two years, withdrew due to a wrist injury.

Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu pulled out earlier this month, while six British women lost in the qualifying rounds.

In the women’s draw, 2022 champion Iga Swiatek will begin her title defence against Spanish world number 67 Cristina Bucsa.

The world number one could face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, seeded fourth, in the semi-finals.

Second seed and Aryna Sabalenka will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the opening round.

Last year’s runner-up Coco Gauff starts against former French Open junior champion Rebeka Masarova of Spain.

Third seed Jessica Pegula and last year’s Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins meet in an all-American clash, and two-time grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka takes on 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

Euro 2022 winner Jill Scott believes England can overcome the absence of key players to claim World Cup glory this summer.

Manager Sarina Wiegman’s preparations for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, which begins in July, have been hampered by the loss of some star names to injury.

The European champions will be without captain Leah Williamson and midfielder Fran Kirby due to long-term knee problems while another casualty, forward Beth Mead, is rated highly doubtful having been sidelined since November.

With two more experienced campaigners in Scott herself and Ellen White having retired since last year’s European success at Wembley, there could be a very different feel to the Lionesses squad.

Scott told the PA news agency: “Obviously we’ve had a few injuries. You can’t shy away from the fact that we’re going be missing the captain, a fantastic player.

“Her game has reached new heights and she’s going be a really big miss, but it’s an opportunity that presents itself to the younger players. I still think we’ve got a great squad.

“You’ve had players like Lauren James step in and she looks like she’s played for England for years.

“Being led by Sarina, I still fully believe that we can go out there and win the World Cup.

“What she is really good at is focusing on you and the team – focusing on your performance and the team’s performance.

“It’s like (you think) the only person that can beat us today is ourselves. I’m sure that will be the same mindset going into this tournament.”

Scott was speaking at the launch of ‘The Greater Game’, a new programme by the Football Association to encourage better health and wellbeing among 12-16 year-olds.

The initiative aims to harness the power of football to inspire young people and their families to make at least one healthier action each week.

Delivered in the form of workshops and with the help of grassroots clubs, it focuses on the four key areas of moving well, eating well, sleeping well and thinking well.

The scheme is being piloted in five areas before being rolled out nationally next year.

Scott, an ambassador for the programme, said: “This is about getting young people more physically active and looking after the their mental wellbeing as well, using the power of football. I’m a really big believer in it.”

Scott is pleased to be able to use her profile for the benefit of others.

“I’ve always tried to be a role model,” she said. “I had David Beckham as as my role model growing up and I thought he always had time for people.

“To think you might have young girls, young boys, looking up at you when you’re playing in the Euros – I do take that role very seriously.

“The next generation is our future, so prevention is better than cure. I always say that, and if we’re going make them feel better now, then it’s only going to benefit society in the future.”

Art Power returns to the Curragh on Saturday looking to make it a perfect four wins from four trips to Ireland in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.

Tim Easterby’s six-year-old made his Irish debut immediately after winning the inaugural Palace of Holyrood House Handicap at Royal Ascot as a three-year-old, and the journey was rewarded when he was a comfortable winner of the Lacken Stakes at Naas.

Since then he has twice won another Group Three, the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh, and both times he did it in style again, by five lengths on the first occasion and by three lengths the second. He has started odds on every time, so punters in Ireland certainly have his measure, and on the latter occasion he had one of Saturday’s rivals, Ano Syra, well held in fourth.

The target at the Curragh this weekend is an even bigger prize and Easterby is looking forward to the Group Two challenge.

“He’s a super horse and he didn’t run too bad at York last week on his reappearance, where he was just a bit fresh and free on his first run since he was gelded (eighth in Duke of York Stakes).

“I don’t know if gelding will benefit him or not, but we were struggling to find him a place at stud and so we decided to cut him and race him on, as he’s a grand horse with great limbs on him, and he always runs well in the big sprints.

“I’d imagine it will be decent ground there, but he’s fine on fast ground too and he’s very well.

“He’s run some super races in Group Ones and he’s been a bit unlucky, as he’s been drawn badly or raced on the wrong side, or that kind of thing. He always runs well.”

Easterby has a tremendous record in Ireland, and added: “We’ve been very lucky over there, but we don’t send them unless they have a good chance. The first winner there was Bally Pride in a sales race, and I remember that one very well as I owned a share in him. I had a bad head the next day!

“We won a few years later with Fayr Jag, the same afternoon that Bollin Eric ran in the Irish St Leger and wasn’t seen to best advantage, and we’ve also won there with Golden Nun and Mattmu before Art Power.”

Also travelling to Ireland is Garrus, another who maintains his form and enthusiasm particularly well, as demonstrated by last month’s Group Three win from Commanche Falls and Creative Force in Newmarket’s Abernant Stakes.

Charlie Hills would love to add a first Group Two win to the seven-year-old’s CV, and this looks an ideal opportunity. He said: “We were very pleased with his win in the Abernant and he seems in good form still, so he goes there with a live chance.

“I think he comes out top on the official ratings, and he quite likes the quicker ground. The stiffish track should help too, and we’ve booked Ryan Moore, who rode him at Newmarket, so it’s all very positive.”

John Murphy is feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement as he prepares White Birch for a tilt at Betfred Derby glory at Epsom on Saturday week.

The veteran trainer has had plenty of high-class performers pass through his hands over the years, perhaps most notably the 2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Newmill.

Murphy considers Tuscan Evening, who was beaten just a head into fourth place in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2008, as his best Flat horse to date, and admits finding a horse capable of competing in the world’s most famous Flat race is something dreams are made of.

He said: “It’s a lot of people’s dream and it’s our dream. We just got lucky, the owners agreed to buy the horse and we’re delighted.

“It’s exciting, absolutely. We’re looking forward to it. It’s huge for us, definitely, we’re excited and apprehensive.”

After finishing fifth as an 80-1 shot on his racecourse debut at Naas in November, White Birch opened his account with a wide-margin win on the all-weather at Dundalk before being given a winter break.

The Ulysses colt may have been a surprise winner of a heavy ground Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his three-year-old debut, but he proved there was no fluke about that victory when powering home to be beaten just a head by The Foxes on much quicker ground in last week’s Dante Stakes at York.

Murphy added: “We had a very good filly called Tuscan Evening. It was a long time ago, but she was very high class from the start.

“This guy had a run in a maiden at Naas, it was a lovely start, he did it easily in Dundalk and there was no place to go really other than take a step further (in the Ballysax). We were confident going into it that he would run really well.”

Reflecting on the decision to send his charge to what is widely considered as Britain’s leading Derby trial, he said: “It was very soft in Ireland, we didn’t want to run him again on heavy and we hoped there’d be better ground in York, so that’s what we did.

“We were very happy with how he ran. He was a bit unlucky at the start, he just kind of fly-leapt out of the stalls and lost at least a length. Everything counts at that level.

“It wasn’t the plan to track them all, but he stayed on well and finished the race really strong.”

Like most of the horses in the Derby field, White Birch will need to prove his stamina for a mile and a half and his ability to handle the idiosyncratic nature of the Epsom track.

Murphy is not overly concerned about either variable, adding: “We’ve been delighted with him since York, no issues. It looked like he stays, but I don’t think anybody can answer that question.

“We have a lot of undulating gallops and he’s a balanced horse who can travel. Every day you go to war it’s a concern, but he’s a good traveller, which is very important in the Derby.

“He has a great mind, he’s sound and has all the qualities you need in a good horse.”

Another question mark hanging over White Birch is who will ride him on the big day.

Shane Foley was in the saddle at Leopardstown and York, but he looks set to partner Leopardstown Derby Trial winner Sprewell for his boss Jessica Harrington, leaving Murphy to consider his options.

He said: “It’s in the air still, we’re undecided.

“There’s a few options and nine days is a long time for all of us. You never know who is going to drop out and who is going to become available, so we’ll take a few more days before we make that decision.”

Mark Robins has praised Coventry for being “one game away from achieving a dream” at the end of a season in which he accepts he might have been sacked.

Coventry meet Luton in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on Saturday with a Premier League place and the millions of pounds that come with such status at stake.

Yet Coventry – who played seven of their opening nine league games away from the CBS Arena this season after the Commonwealth Games’ Rugby Sevens wrecked the pitch – were bottom of the Championship on October 19 and still in the relegation zone as November began.

“We are one game away from achieving a dream and changing the club’s future very quickly,” said manager Robins.

“This season has been exceptional in terms of the start we were handed and all the well documented issues that we had.

“The fact I remained in post when others didn’t. Bottom of the league in October, it’s generally unacceptable.

“That’s been something you look back on and say, ‘OK, that could have happened but it didn’t’.

“We managed to navigate our way through a really difficult period and come out the other side.

“The supporters understood the situation and really backed it, and without them it wouldn’t have happened.

“That’s why it makes it so special because, for me, the biggest achievement since I came through the door is the reconnection between players and supporters and long may that continue.”

Robins’ second Coventry spell – he spent five months there before leaving for Huddersfield in February 2013 – began in March 2017 with the Sky Blues bottom of League One and doomed to relegation.

Coventry claimed promotion the following season with a Wembley play-off final victory over Exeter, and Robins repeated the trick in the Covid-hit campaign of 2019-20 as the club returned to the second tier of English football for the first time since 2012.

Success was more notable as it was achieved against the backdrop of playing in Birmingham between 2019 and 2021 due to a rent dispute.

A sense of calm did not arrive until January when Doug King completed a full takeover of the club, while last month’s agreement of a five-year deal to continue playing at the the CBS Arena has provided further stability.

“I’ve had so much turbulence here that my first job at Rotherham stood me in good stead,” said Robins, recalling the 2008-09 League Two season when the Millers were deducted 17 points and Luton lost 30 for breaching Football League insolvency rules.

“The game is one for the romantics because of the journeys both clubs have been on.

“Luton dropped out of the league when I started my managerial career and found it very difficult to come back from that position.

“It took them five years to get back in and they have had a phenomenal run ever since.”

Coventry lost only once in their final 17 games to finish fifth in the Championship and they edged out highly fancied Middlesbrough in their play-off semi-final.

But Robins said: “We are under no illusions Luton are going to be made favourites because they finished 10 points ahead of us in the division.

“Luton are a really good team with some good technical players and have the power to go with that. That’s why they finished third.

“They are a year ahead of us in their development (Luton were play-off semi-finalists last season) and are expected to go up. No one expected us to be in this game.

“But the change of ownership has accelerated our five-year plan by five years. We’ve got to try and and finish this off, but to be in a position to do that is in itself incredible.”

The 2024 fixture list is set for a shake up after the British Horseracing Authority board approved a number of changes, with a ‘premier’ racing tier to be introduced, along with restricted action at a peak period on most Saturday afternoons and a trial of Sunday evening meetings.

Several “core principles” established as part of British racing’s cross industry strategy are at the heart of the planned reforms, with the aim to grow “the sport’s reach, appeal to new fanbases and better engage existing customers”, with the changes representing the “vital first step in longer-term improvements to the structure, funding and promotion of the racing product”.

Adjustments will be implemented and assessed over an initial two-year period.

A new ‘premier’ tier will be introduced, boasting higher prize-money and top-quality racing, with a two-hour “shop window” period – usually 2-4pm – established on most Saturday afternoons. That period will be restricted to three meetings, including up to two ‘premier’ cards, with other Saturday fixtures scheduled to start after the window ends or, on occasions, before it opens.

Sunday racing has also come under the microscope, with plans to create new ‘premier’ fixtures on Sunday afternoons as well as trialling six evening floodlit fixtures between January and March next year, during a time of the week where “betting activity tends to be strong”.

Those six fixtures will be spread between Kempton, Southwell, Chelmsford, Newcastle and Wolverhampton – the five floodlit UK tracks – with meetings moved from midweek slots.

The BHA is also keen to boost the “core racing” product, which involves moving fixtures to later in the day and “making the most of our core fixtures during major festivals and supporting summer jumping”.

A total of 300 jumps races – equating to around 20 meetings – will be removed across the year, with the summer jumping break increased from 12 to 19 days. There will be no reduction in Flat races, but around 200 races will be moved into the autumn and early winter period from other points of the year.

Joe Saumarez Smith, chair of the BHA, said: “The BHA board endorsed and approved these recommendations because it was clear to us that they were necessary and in the best interests of the sport.

“The information that was presented by the sport’s commercial committee included detailed consideration of both the upside and downside of all proposals. This allowed the board to make its decisions based on the complete picture.

“It is inevitable that not all parties agree with all proposals. But it was for this reason that the new governance structure was agreed by the industry, so that difficult decisions can be made and there can be progress in the best interests of the whole sport.

“The changes will be tested over an initial two-year period and will be closely evaluated to see how well they work, with the aim of permanently adopting the things that have been a success.

“I would like to thank the commercial committee, and everyone who has been involved in this process, for their work to date. It has been a truly collaborative, cross-industry effort.”

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, added: “When the industry’s leaders came together in autumn last year, we agreed unanimously that innovation in the way the sport is presented is an absolute necessity.

“The core principles approved by the BHA Board were identified as the most time sensitive area and the foundation of our wider approach.

“There is still a huge amount to do as we seek to grow and future-proof British racing, but the development of a fixture list that seeks to attract new fans and grow the appeal of our sport to existing customers represents an important first step.”

The 2024 fixture list is set for a shake up after the British Horseracing Authority board approved a number of changes, with a ‘premier’ racing tier to be introduced, along with restricted action at a peak period on most Saturday afternoons and a trial of Sunday evening meetings.

Several “core principles” established as part of British racing’s cross industry strategy are at the heart of the planned reforms, with the aim to grow “the sport’s reach, appeal to new fanbases and better engage existing customers”, with the changes representing the “vital first step in longer-term improvements to the structure, funding and promotion of the racing product”.

Adjustments will be implemented and assessed over an initial two-year period.

A new ‘premier’ tier will be introduced, boasting higher prize-money and top-quality racing, with a two-hour “shop window” period – usually 2-4pm – established on most Saturday afternoons. That period will be restricted to three meetings, including up to two ‘premier’ cards, with other Saturday fixtures scheduled to start after the window ends or, on occasions, before it opens.

Sunday racing has also come under the microscope, with plans to create new ‘premier’ fixtures on Sunday afternoons as well as trialling six evening floodlit fixtures between January and March next year, during a time of the week where “betting activity tends to be strong”.

Those six fixtures will be spread between Kempton, Southwell, Chelmsford, Newcastle and Wolverhampton – the five floodlit UK tracks – with meetings moved from midweek slots.

The BHA is also keen to boost the “core racing” product, which involves moving fixtures to later in the day and “making the most of our core fixtures during major festivals and supporting summer jumping”.

A total of 300 jumps races – equating to around 20 meetings – will be removed across the year, with the summer jumping break increased from 12 to 19 days. There will be no reduction in Flat races, but around 200 races will be moved into the autumn and early winter period from other points of the year.

Joe Saumarez Smith, chair of the BHA, said: “The BHA board endorsed and approved these recommendations because it was clear to us that they were necessary and in the best interests of the sport.

“The information that was presented by the sport’s commercial committee included detailed consideration of both the upside and downside of all proposals. This allowed the board to make its decisions based on the complete picture.

“It is inevitable that not all parties agree with all proposals. But it was for this reason that the new governance structure was agreed by the industry, so that difficult decisions can be made and there can be progress in the best interests of the whole sport.

“The changes will be tested over an initial two-year period and will be closely evaluated to see how well they work, with the aim of permanently adopting the things that have been a success.

“I would like to thank the commercial committee, and everyone who has been involved in this process, for their work to date. It has been a truly collaborative, cross-industry effort.”

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, added: “When the industry’s leaders came together in autumn last year, we agreed unanimously that innovation in the way the sport is presented is an absolute necessity.

“The core principles approved by the BHA Board were identified as the most time sensitive area and the foundation of our wider approach.

“There is still a huge amount to do as we seek to grow and future-proof British racing, but the development of a fixture list that seeks to attract new fans and grow the appeal of our sport to existing customers represents an important first step.”

Pep Guardiola believes the perceived injustice of Erling Haaland’s disallowed goal in Wednesday’s thrilling 1-1 draw at Brighton proves Manchester City are Premier League champions on their own merits.

City top scorer Haaland looked to have claimed a late winner at the Amex Stadium but his close-range header from Cole Palmer’s cross was ruled out after VAR spotted a shirt pull on Levi Colwill.

Guardiola was visibly angered by the decision after seeing a replay on the big screen inside the ground and was later shown a yellow card by referee Simon Hooper for his ongoing protestations.

The City boss claims 36-goal striker Haaland has endured similar physical contact from defenders all season and feels the incident shows his side have not benefited from favourable refereeing calls during their charge to the title.

“If it’s disallowed, every action to Erling Haaland by all central defenders is a fault,” he said.

“Every action. And we saw one or two (on Wednesday).

“It’s a goal because he’s bigger, he’s stronger, he won the position (from Colwill) and it was an incredible action from Cole Palmer and the goal should be given.

“But that proved that what we won on the pitch belongs to us, not anyone gave us anything.

“He has bruises on all of his body after the games. If he’s faulting in the disallowed goal, every action to him is a fault and never happens.”

Haaland, who squandered two excellent first-half chances, nodded home 11 minutes from time in front of the travelling fans after Julio Enciso’s stunning strike cancelled out Phil Foden’s opener.

A gripping south-coast contest halted City’s top-flight winning streak at 12 games but mattered little in the context of their season.

that proved that what we won on the pitch belongs to us, not anyone gave us anything.

Guardiola’s men enjoyed alcohol-fuelled celebrations after lifting the Premier League trophy following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea and are bidding to complete the treble with FA Cup and Champions League glory.

Following Sunday’s visit to Brentford, City face rivals Manchester United at Wembley on June 3 before attempting to become European champions for the first time against Inter Milan in Istanbul a week later.

Guardiola has defensive issues moving towards the two finals after Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Manuel Akanji missed the trip to Sussex.

Jack Grealish was also absent, while John Stones and Foden were withdrawn during the game as a precaution.

“Phil had a knock in the first half and problems in his leg and the doctor told me that in this position it is dangerous so we don’t take a risk,” said Guardiola.

“John at the end was a little tight but he didn’t feel anything and is fine, he told me, but we didn’t want to take a risk because we had just one central defender with John.

“The others are injured so hopefully they can recover as soon as possible.

“We sustained no injuries for a long time but the moment we get near the Champions League final, four or five players get little niggles – important ones – and we have to recover them.”

Sixth-placed Brighton cemented their spot in next season’s Europa League with the midweek point.

Pascal Gross, the Seagulls’ first signing following promotion to the top flight in 2017, told his club’s website: “I’m so proud of the boys, what an achievement for us.

“We can’t wait for the Europa League. What a season ahead.”

Paraguayan Enciso’s spectacular equaliser followed another goal of the season contender from the 19-year-old in last month’s 2-1 win at Chelsea.

“He can have it (goal of the season),” said Gross. “Two incredible goals.

“What I like more, he’s getting better and better. It’s not easy coming from far away abroad with no English.

“But he’s improving speaking English, he’s improving adapting to the group, a good guy and I think there’s much more to come.”