Wales boss Warren Gatland has named five uncapped players in his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

The squad announcement, though, was overshadowed by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit being released by Gloucester to pursue his dream of a career in the NFL.

Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, plus Bath prop Archie Griffin, have all been included among a 34-strong group, with Wales kicking off their campaign against Scotland on February 3.

Exeter’s 21-year-old lock Dafydd Jenkins, meanwhile, has been appointed as captain with World Cup skipper Jac Morgan likely to miss the whole tournament after undergoing knee surgery, and there is a recall for Cardiff flanker James Botham, grandson of cricket great Sir Ian Botham.

Other injury absentees include number eight Taulupe Faletau, hooker Dewi Lake and Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza.

And there are no places for experienced campaigners such as props Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis.

Wales squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship:

Backs: G Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), K Hardy (Scarlets), S Costelow (Scarlets), I Lloyd (Scarlets), C Evans (Dragons), N Tompkins (Saracens), O Watkin (Ospreys), G North (Ospreys), M Grady (Cardiff), J Roberts (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff), R Dyer (Dragons), C Winnett (Cardiff), T Rogers (Scarlets).

Forwards: G Thomas (Ospreys), C Domachowski (Cardiff), K Mathias (Scarlets), R Elias (Scarlets), E Dee (Dragons), E Lloyd (Cardiff), K Assiratti (Cardiff), A Griffin (Bath), L Brown (Dragons), W Rowlands (Racing 92), A Beard (Ospreys), D Jenkins (Exeter, capt), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), A Wainwright (Dragons), T Reffell (Leicester), A Mann (Cardiff), J Botham (Cardiff), M Martin (Cardiff), T Basham (Dragons).

A date has been set for an independent commission to hear Premier League financial charges against Manchester City, the league’s chief executive Richard Masters has told MPs.

Masters did not reveal the date but said the case was “progressing”, as he insisted that all top-flight clubs were being treated equally under the league’s rules.

Everton face the prospect of two points deductions for breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) before any conclusion is reached in the Manchester City case, even though charges were laid in the City case in February last year.

Nottingham Forest also face a sanction after they were referred to an independent commission in relation to PSR on Monday along with Everton. A member of the Toffees’ fan advisory board, Julie Clarke, was sat directly behind Masters during the hearing of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee on Tuesday morning wearing an Everton shirt.

Masters was asked by MPs whether he could understand fans’ frustrations on the differing timescales of these financial cases and said: “They are very different charges, that’s all I would say.

“If any club, whether the current champions or otherwise, had been found in breach of the spending rules for year 23, they would be in exactly the same position as Everton or Nottingham Forest, but the volume and character of the charges laid before Manchester City – which I obviously cannot talk about – are being heard in a completely different environment.

“There is a date set for that proceeding, unfortunately I can’t tell you when that is, but that is progressing.”

City were charged with more than 100 rule breaches last year following an investigation which the Premier League said began in December 2018.

Manchester City declined to comment following Masters’ remarks, but at the time the charges were laid the club said they welcomed the review of this matter by an independent commission “to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position”.

“As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all,” City said.

The Premier League declined to comment on whether the commission will consider it this year but it is understood that is the case. It is not known how many days the commission has set aside for the proceedings. The commission sets the timeline for the process in this case.

Everton are already appealing against a 10-point deduction imposed by an independent commission in November over an earlier PSR breach, and said on Monday the fact they now had to defend themselves against a new complaint while the appeal process was ongoing demonstrated a “clear deficiency” in the league’s rules.

Asked about those rules, Masters told the committee: “We take our rulebook very seriously. It’s a handshake between all 20 clubs. All clubs look each other in the eyes and say ‘we will comply with these rules’ and they expect the (Premier League) board – if clubs don’t comply with those rules – to take action.

“We have to balance that Everton are a very important member of the Premier League, an ever-present, and we also have to think about the other 19 clubs and their fan bases.

“I don’t think it’s messy. It’s a very solemn duty – nobody likes enforcing the financial rules. These rules were brought in in 2013-14 with a specific purpose of ensuring that unsustainable spending couldn’t go too far.”

Masters said new rules were under consideration to bring the Premier League into line with UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations. The European governing body is phasing in a system where clubs must not have squad costs higher than 70 per cent of revenue.

Masters said the existing PSR would be in place for at least this season and next, however.

He also said his organisation was “still investigating” Chelsea after the club’s new leadership self-reported information concerning the Blues’ financial conduct under former owner Roman Abramovich.

Masters was also asked when the league would ratify the takeover of Everton by American investment firm 777 Partners.

“As soon as we have completed the process and unfortunately some processes take a matter of weeks. Some, if we haven’t had satisfactory answers to the questions we have asked, take a lot longer,” he said.

Asked how long this one would take, Masters replied: “It’s already been running for a number of weeks. So it’s going to take longer. How much longer I don’t know.”

When asked if he meant days, weeks or months, Masters said: “Hopefully weeks.”

Wales boss Warren Gatland has named five uncapped players in his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

The squad announcement, though, was overshadowed by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit being released by Gloucester to pursue his dream of a career in the NFL.

Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, plus Bath prop Archie Griffin, have all been included among a 34-strong group, with Wales kicking off their campaign against Scotland on February 3.

Exeter’s 21-year-old lock Dafydd Jenkins, meanwhile, has been appointed as captain with World Cup skipper Jac Morgan likely to miss the whole tournament after undergoing knee surgery, and there is a recall for Cardiff flanker James Botham, grandson of cricket great Sir Ian Botham.

Other injury absentees include number eight Taulupe Faletau, hooker Dewi Lake and Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza.

And there are no places for experienced campaigners such as props Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis.

Wales squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship:

Backs: G Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), K Hardy (Scarlets), S Costelow (Scarlets), I Lloyd (Scarlets), C Evans (Dragons), N Tompkins (Saracens), O Watkin (Ospreys), G North (Ospreys), M Grady (Cardiff), J Roberts (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff), R Dyer (Dragons), C Winnett (Cardiff), T Rogers (Scarlets).

Forwards: G Thomas (Ospreys), C Domachowski (Cardiff), K Mathias (Scarlets), R Elias (Scarlets), E Dee (Dragons), E Lloyd (Cardiff), K Assiratti (Cardiff), A Griffin (Bath), L Brown (Dragons), W Rowlands (Racing 92), A Beard (Ospreys), D Jenkins (Exeter, capt), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), A Wainwright (Dragons), T Reffell (Leicester), A Mann (Cardiff), J Botham (Cardiff), M Martin (Cardiff), T Basham (Dragons).

Gloucester have released Wales and British and Irish Lions wing Louis Rees-Zammit with immediate effect to “pursue his dream” of a career in American Football.

The Gallagher Premiership club made the announcement as Wales head coach Warren Gatland prepared to unveil his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

Gloucester said: “Gloucester Rugby have agreed to release winger Louis Rees-Zammit with immediate effect to enable the 22-year-old to pursue his dream of playing in the National Football League (NFL).

“The Welsh international has accepted an invitation to join the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) which provides elite athletes from around the world with an opportunity to earn a place on an NFL roster.

Rees-Zammit is one of the hottest properties in world rugby, excelling for Gloucester, Wales and the Lions through his try-scoring prowess and thrilling attacking ability.

The winger, who has been capped 32 times for Wales, said: “Gloucester Rugby has been a huge part of my life. From the start at Hartpury College and my first professional rugby contract with Gloucester in 2020, to my Wales and Lions caps, the club has been central to my development as a player, and I am so grateful for their support.

“I will always be very proud of my time at Kingsholm, and want to particularly thank the incredible fans who make the club so special.

“Also, to my team-mates, to George Skivington and Alex Brown, thank you for giving me such special memories and for supporting this next stage of my career.

“I have had the incredible honour of playing rugby for my country which, as a proud Welshman, I’ve never taken for granted.

“However, I believe that this is the right time for me to realise another professional goal of playing American football in the US. Those opportunities don’t come around very often.”

Rees-Zammit will leave the UK for Florida this week to begin the IPP programme.

Gloucester have released Wales and British and Irish Lions wing Louis Rees-Zammit with immediate effect to “pursue his dream” of a career in American Football.

The Gallagher Premiership club made the announcement as Wales head coach Warren Gatland prepared to unveil his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

Gloucester said: “Gloucester Rugby have agreed to release winger Louis Rees-Zammit with immediate effect to enable the 22-year-old to pursue his dream of playing in the National Football League (NFL).

“The Welsh international has accepted an invitation to join the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) which provides elite athletes from around the world with an opportunity to earn a place on an NFL roster.

Newcastle are bracing themselves for the prospect of losing key midfielder Joelinton for the remainder of the season if he needs surgery.

The 27-year-old Brazil international damaged a tendon in his thigh during the 3-0 FA Cup third-round victory at Sunderland on January 6 and medics have since been working to assess the extent of the problem.

However, the PA news agency understands he may need an operation and if that proves to be the case, he would be out of action for months rather than the “minimum of six weeks” for which head coach Eddie Howe revealed he could be sidelined on Friday.

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Howe said: “Joey’s injury is another freak injury one where he’s off-balance trying to switch play. He gets pushed in the back, his leg goes to an awkward angle and ends up with an injury.

“Unfortunately for us any injury we’ve picked up this year hasn’t been a one or two-week injury, it’s been six to eight weeks at a time where we can’t afford it.

“We’re really stretched in the attacking and midfield areas and we have been for a long time.

“It’s inhibited our ability to rest players and also change the flow of games by bringing players on who can make a difference.”

Joelinton, a £40million signing from Hoffenheim during the summer of 2019, was one of 11 senior players unavailable for Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat by Manchester City with 10 of them missing through injury or illness.

Howe hopes to have Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy back from toe and shoulder problems respectively within the next few weeks, but the depth of his squad has been severely tested in recent months and the demands on those who have played throughout a gruelling schedule have taken their toll.

A prolonged absence for the Brazilian, who has become a key member of the Newcastle team since he was converted from a struggling striker to a powerhouse midfielder, coupled with Sandro Tonali’s 10-month suspension for betting breaches, would represent a further blow.

Howe has drafted 17-year-old Lewis Miley into his preferred 4-3-3 formation when more senior players have been unavailable, but is acutely aware of the responsibility he has heaped on the shoulders of such a young player.

The 46-year-old would dearly love to bolster his resources during the winter transfer window, but both he and chief executive Darren Eales admitted last week that the restrictions imposed by Premier League profit and sustainability rules mean that significant investment was unlikely.

Newcastle had hoped to clinch a loan deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, but are understood to have baulked at both the fee involved and a purchase clause and their hunt for reinforcements on a budget continues.

Emma Raducanu felt the love on her grand-slam return as she eased to victory over Shelby Rogers in the first round of the Australian Open.

Playing her first major tournament since a second-round exit to Coco Gauff here last year following surgery on both wrists and one ankle, the 21-year-old produced an assured performance to beat the American 6-3 6-2.

A packed arena showed how much interest there is in Raducanu’s comeback, and this was the sort of routine win she will hope to achieve regularly throughout the season.

Raducanu was cheered loudly throughout and, after clenching her fist and waving to all sides of the arena, she gave her towel to a fan she recognised who had supported her in New York.

“Going out there today I think I was a little bit taken aback by just the support straight when I walked out,” she said.

“I think it was better than any year I’ve really had before here. It was just amazing to see all the signs, hear the support. It was pretty incredible. So I was very happy to be able to play in those sort of circumstances again.

“I gave the towel to Mark. He was actually there every round at US Open. I didn’t know he was here. I just saw him in the crowd. He’s very vocal. It was actually great to have him there to get me through. He’s very passionate and enthusiastic. It was his birthday.”

Raducanu has spoken a lot over the past couple of weeks about seeing this comeback as a reset following her US Open triumph and the hoopla that followed.

It was somewhat ironic, therefore, that the draw pitted her against one of the players she beat during that incredible New York fortnight.

Rogers had knocked out Ashleigh Barty in the third round but was swatted aside by Raducanu, the British player dropping just three games.

Rogers has taken her own break from the sport having not played a match since Wimbledon because of knee surgery and an abdominal problem before she got married last month.

Ranked down at 161 as a consequence, this was one of the kinder openers Raducanu could have had, and Rogers clearly looked rusty.

Raducanu settled well, though, balancing the aggressive game she is determined to stick to with a need for consistency and she did not face a break point throughout the contest.

Raducanu moved well, served strongly and showed good touch at the net and on a couple of drop shots, while she saw the funny side of a delay to one service game in the second set while a ball girl tried to capture a bug that had landed on the court.

She is yet to reach the third round in Melbourne but looks to have a good chance ahead of a second-round clash with China’s Wang Yafan on Thursday.

Whether or not Raducanu can find a way through that one, she is simply enjoying being able to play pain free.

“I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever get to this stage,” she said. “I had pain for so long. I was playing since before the US swing in 2022 all the way before surgery.

“I think this year and now there’s just a lot more calm. I think I’m more level-headed. I think things around me have settled. I do feel better, and there’s just less highs and lows around. It’s just more of an equilibrium.

“I think what I realised is the difference between me potentially losing first round or doing really well at a tournament is honestly really, really slim. It’s just in the way that I move, in the way that I do things physically.

“I think just not being so drastic, because I know it’s not far away at all, and I know, the more I practise consistently, it will come.”

John Quinn is eyeing further top-level success with Highfield Princess after confirming his superstar sprinting mare will stay in training this year.

The seven-year-old memorably completed a Group One hat-trick in 2022 with wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, Nunthorpe and Flying Five Stakes before rounding off her campaign with a fourth-placed finish at the Breeders’ Cup.

Owner John Fairley sportingly elected to bring his pride and joy back for another season last year and was duly rewarded, as Highfield Princess was placed twice at Royal Ascot and blitzed her rivals at Goodwood before bagging a fourth Group One success in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp.

She could only finish sixth on her most recent outing in Hong Kong, but while connections could quite easily have retired the daughter of Night Of Thunder for breeding purposes in 2024, Quinn is delighted to report her racing career will continue.

“Highfield Princess is going to stay in training this year and I’m delighted,” he told the PA news agency on Tuesday morning.

“She retained her enthusiasm all year (last year) and keeps doing it. She won another Group One, was placed in three Group Ones and won a Group Two, so it’s not as if she had one outstanding run and four or five runs below par.

“She had one disappointing run in the Curragh when she slipped, apart from that she was second in the Duke of York, placed twice at Royal Ascot, fantastic at Glorious Goodwood, second in the Nunthorpe and put up a tremendous performance in the Abbaye.

“She ran creditably in Hong Kong from a wide draw and the owners have decided they’d like to race her again this year, which is great.”

While Highfield Princess is currently enjoying a well-earned break, Quinn has already started to formulate plans for her comeback.

He added: “She’s having a break now and will be back in (training) on February 1.

“I think she’ll kick off in the Duke of York again. It might be cold and snowy this morning, but it will soon come round, and then we’ll aim for Royal Ascot.”

Tottenham new boy Radu Dragusin believes “the sky is the limit” after turning down Bayern Munich to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Having completed the loan signing of Germany forward Timo Werner last week, the north London club won the race to sign the Romania defender from under the noses of the Bundesliga giants.

Dragusin signed a six-and-a-half-year deal at Spurs after rejecting Bayern’s advances in a move that could eventually see Genoa receive up to £25million.

Asked if it was correct he had spurned Bayern, the 21-year-old said: “Yes, that is right.

“I chose Tottenham because I felt it was the right step for me and I had a really good conversation with the coach.

“I saw that they wanted me from a long time ago, like one month before the transfer window, so I thought this is the right choice for me.

“I really believe in this team and that it is a good environment for me to continue my career and to progress in this incredible stadium and team-mates.”

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Dragusin said it was an “incredible feeling” to make his debut as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Manchester United and believes exciting things are happening at Spurs.

“My dream was to play in the Premier League, so that was part of it,” he said of the decision to join Tottenham.

“I think the team here, the guys here, are on a good trajectory. I felt joining them can help me a lot.

“The sky is the limit. We hope we will be as high as possible in the league and we can then see from there.”

Dragusin says he likes “the physicality, intensity, speed and aggression” of the Premier League and is proud to be the fourth Romanian to represent Spurs.

He knows there is competition at centre-back from the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven but reckons that “can make each other progress and grow”.

There is certainly no chance of Dragusin being overawed by the challenge, having earned his big-money move to Tottenham after taking a step back by leaving Juventus.

The defender moved to Turin aged 16 and went on to make four first-team appearances, before being farmed out to Sampdoria, Salernitana and then Genoa in Serie B.

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The latter turned their loan into a permanent move as they were promoted last season, before the Rossoblu sold him to Spurs last week.

“I have believed in myself since the beginning and I wanted to play football,” Dragusin said.

“I understand there are a lot of sacrifices to be made and a lot of days I will be on my own training, developing, but this is my dream and I won’t stop until I reach the highest level possible in my career.”

Jack Draper blamed stress for the physical struggles that led to him vomiting in a courtside bin at the end of his five-set win over Marcos Giron.

It is a measure of how inexperienced the 22-year-old still is at the highest level that he had never previously played a match that went the distance, and he looked in serious trouble at two sets to one down against American Giron in 31 degree heat at the Australian Open.

But Draper has been working hard on his physical conditioning and it paid off as he fought back to win 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-0 6-2 after three hours and 20 minutes.

As soon as he had shaken hands with Giron after a final gruelling rally he ran to the bin to be sick and it was several minutes before he was able to walk off the court.

“It was weird,” he said. “I obviously played such a long point, maybe it was sort of a reaction to finally getting over the line. I don’t know. I kind of felt bad because I obviously just beat the guy, and I was saying, ‘I need to shake your hand, mate, but I need to get to that bin’.”

Draper was left with mixed feelings, saying of his physical conditioning: “I’m obviously nowhere near where I want to be still, but it’s coming. For sure I would have cramped in these matches last year, even maybe four months ago.

“It was obviously a physical match. It’s tough conditions. It wasn’t that long for a five-set match. I played three hours 40 (minutes) last week in hotter conditions and I was physically absolutely fine.

“It’s obviously a grand slam. It’s tougher sort of with the tension to play that first match. I think I’m still a young player, so getting used to the environment around these slams and the tension is difficult.

“There’s no doubting I’m really proud to come through this match and I think it is really important for me.

“But there’s still some underlying stuff that obviously I need to work on, whether that be psychologically starting these slams or just the way I’m handling the anxiety and the nerves because I obviously don’t want to play a match like that where I feel like I’m on my hands and knees a lot, and I’m struggling to breathe and calm myself down. That’s not a positive.”

The match was dominated by punishing rallies from the start and, after edging the first set, it became clear in the second that Draper was struggling.

He called the trainer at the end of the set and had his blood pressure and pulse taken, and Giron looked odds on to win when he clinched the third.

Draper headed off court at that point to change his clothes and revealed in his press conference later that a talk in the mirror helped him achieve the dramatic turnaround that followed.

“I’ve heard (Novak) Djokovic say it a few times in his career,” said Draper. “He has gone two sets to love down and he has a go at himself. I think it’s important to not dwell on it.

“I kind of just looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Come on, we need to try and do this. I know it’s going to be two sets now, and give it your all. It’s the Australian Open. Only going to be here once this year’.”

Draper will hope to have enough time to recover ahead of his second-round clash with Tommy Paul – who he beat last week on his way to the final of the Adelaide International – on Thursday.

There were more straightforward wins for Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter on a very good day for the British contingent.

Norrie dispelled concerns over the wrist problem that forced him out of last week’s tournament in Auckland with a routine 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory over Juan Pablo Varillas, while Boulter defeated Yuan Yue 7-5 7-6 (1).

The British number one missed two match points serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, one with a double fault and the other an unforced error, but put the setback behind her to dominate the tie-break.

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“It wasn’t easy at all,” said Boulter. “I felt like that was my moment to really dig in, take a deep breath and start again. It took a lot of strength to come back from that.

“I feel like I relish that situation because I know how tough I am and I know that I can get myself out of it.

“I managed to bring some of the better tennis that I played of the day out in the biggest moment. I think, if I’ve learned anything over these years, that’s what the best players in the world do.”

Incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Manchester United supporter groups he is there to help take the club back to the top rather than make money.

After a frustrating, prolonged 13-month process, it was announced on Christmas Eve that the Ineos chairman had agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake from the Glazer family.

Ratcliffe receives control of football operations at the Premier League club under the terms of a deal that he told reporters he expects to be approved by mid-February.

The 71-year-old watched Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford, where he returned the following day to engage with fan representatives and local leaders.

Ratcliffe met members of the club’s Fans’ Advisory Board and leaders of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST), before holding a video meeting with the larger Fans’ Forum.

“His main message was that everything at United needs to be ruthlessly focused on creating winning teams on the field – something we are sure all fans will agree on,” MUST said.

“He also expressed the view that he views our club as a ‘community asset’ and stressed that his purpose in taking a share in United is not to make money.

“We were able to set out to Sir Jim what we think the key priorities are – a clear plan to get back to the top, putting in place a football structure with the right people in the right roles; an investment plan in both the teams and the stadium; and building a genuine and strong partnership with fans that supports success.

“We hope today’s discussion is the start of an ongoing dialogue both with Sir Jim and his team.

“We all know the journey back for our club is not a short one – and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. But most fans agree that the signals Ineos has sent in the last few weeks are encouraging.”

The meeting with MUST lasted more than an hour, with Ratcliffe joined by Sir Dave Brailsford, the director of sport at Ineos, Jean Claude Blanc, Ineos Sport chief executive, and senior United officials.

Certain topics were off the table as the deal awaits approval, but MUST “felt he was as open as he could be within those rules”.

The trust’s chair JD Deitch posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was a good meeting and that Ratcliffe’s team “get it” but “proof will be action, not words”.

A fan representative at one of the meetings told the PA news agency that Ineos made it clear the immediate priority is fixing things on the field during “really positive discussions”.

There was a sense that Ratcliffe’s team will be “able to hit the ground running” once the deal is ratified, with player trading pinpointed by Ineos as an area requiring improvement.

“I think the impression of everybody in all the meetings was it was actually amazing and unprecedented for us at Manchester United that the owner of the club spent that much time,” the fan representative said.

“More fan engagement in one day than the Glazers have done in 20 years. That’s just a fact.

“I’m sure it’s not accidental. It’s a very clear signal of a change in how the club will be and I get the sense that they are not waiting for the details of the deal to go through.

“I get the sense that the work has started already.”

After speaking to fan representatives, Ratcliffe and his team met a range of local leaders to discuss United’s role in the community and potential development of Old Trafford.

Among those in attendance were senior representatives from Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, including mayor Andy Burnham.

Charlie Deutsch feels Royale Pagaille will need to produce a performance akin to his Betfair Chase success if he is to win the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Chase for a third time on Saturday – should Haydock beat the freeze.

The Venetia Williams-trained 10-year-old came up with a career-best display last time out when winning at the highest level for the first time, beating Bravemansgame in the process.

That was his fourth win at Haydock, and he was also second in the 2021 Betfair Chase, so his love for the course is evident, but Deutsch is well aware that off a mark of 166, he will be giving lumps of weight away.

“I’ve not sat on him since the last day I rode him, but every day from what I see on the gallops he looks good and well. I’m looking forward to getting back on board him again,” said the jockey.

“You would have to be optimistic about his chances if the meeting is on, as we know he likes the track and hopefully he is in the same form as he was in the Betfair Chase.

“This will still be a test and take a bit of winning, so he needs to be in good form, as he is going to be giving a lot of weight away.

“I’d be very surprised at his age if he gets better again but, although it is easy to say now he has won his Grade One, on Betfair Chase Day he definitely felt at his best.

“It would be great if he could win this for a third time, and it would be a similar performance to his one in the Betfair Chase, as it takes a very good horse to carry that sort of weight to victory.”