Aidan O’Brien has confirmed his intention to split his Classic aces next spring, with Henry Longfellow unlikely to take on his esteemed stablemate City of Troy in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

While Henry Longfellow has done nothing wrong in winning each of his three juvenile starts, it was City Of Troy for whom O’Brien reserved the highest praise, stating after his Dewhurst success at Newmarket in October: “He is the best two-year-old we’ve trained, there’s no doubt.”

City Of Troy is best-priced evens favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and while bookmakers rate his stablemate as his biggest threat, he could instead head to the French equivalent.

“I’d imagine that City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow will be kept apart for as long as the lads want to do that,” O’Brien told Sporting Life.

“We’re obviously thinking that City of Troy will be trained for Newmarket and then Henry Longfellow might be trained for France.

“If everything went well with City Of Troy at Newmarket, he could go straight on to Epsom (for the Derby) whereas the other horse could do the Curragh (Irish 2,000 Guineas) and Ascot (St James’s Palace Stakes) or something like that. There’s lots of scenarios that could happen I suppose.”

O’Brien has not been shy in pointing out City Of Troy’s extraordinary ability and continues to be effusive in his praise.

He added: “He’s the first horse we’ve had come along to show such class and courage, without us feeling that we’ve got to the last gear yet.

“He always had lovely balance, a lovely shape and a lovely mind. He was a lovely size of a horse, not too big and not too small. He looked the ideal horse all the way along really.”

Reflecting on his Dewhurst success and the feedback he received from jockey Ryan Moore, O’Brien added: “We just felt that we hadn’t had a horse like him before.

“Ryan was so confident in the horse that he really felt it didn’t matter what the ground was going to be like or anything else. He didn’t think he’d ridden a horse like this before, either – he’s always felt that this horse was different.”

Harry Fry is looking forward to raising Might I’s sights in an intriguing renewal of the Howden Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot on Friday.

The seven-year-old was a high-class novice hurdler a couple of seasons ago, placing behind Constitution Hill and Jonbon along the way, while he also picked up minor honours in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last term.

He has been switched the larger obstacles this autumn and having pushed Complete Unknown close on his introduction before opening his account in a match race at Exeter last month, he will now test his powers at Grade Two level in Berkshire.

“This is obviously his third start over fences. He made the most of a match opportunity the last day, but it was still good experience nonetheless,” said Fry.

“We take the step up in grade, hopefully he puts in a good round of jumping and if he does that then I’d hope he’ll have every chance.

“There’s not much between the four runners, he deserves to be in there for sure and hopefully he’ll give a good account of himself.”

The quartet is headed by Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party, who is eased in class and upped in trip after finishing fifth in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown a fortnight ago.

“He’s come out of Sandown very well. He didn’t figure prominently in the Henry VIII and this is not a dissimilar type of race, so he’s got a lot to do to win but he deserves his place in these types of races,” said Skelton.

“They’re not getting massively supported so if we’ve got one, we’re going to run them. He’s gone well at Ascot before so there are no negatives there.”

Djelo bids to make it three from three over fences for Venetia Williams following a couple of impressive handicap wins, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Kandoo Kid makes a similar move after beating Williams’ Frero Banbou in a Newbury handicap last time.

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli hopes the recent appointment of senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic can provide the spark to help his side bridge the gap to Serie A’s top two ahead of their trip to bottom club Salernitana.

Pioli’s men go into the game five points behind second-placed Juventus but buoyed by the arrival of former hero Ibrahimovic, who is expected to be present in Salerno.

Pioli told a press conference: “He’s the same Zlatan. He is approaching a different role but he is curious and determined.

“I saw a motivated Ibra and it was an interesting day. He is an added value for me and the club, but he has great experience and he is a symbol of those who challenge the challengers.”

Pioli’s men still find themselves amid a mounting injury crisis having lost both Tommaso Pobega and Noah Okafor to muscle injuries during the comfortable weekend win over Monza.

“We’re still in an emergency situation that we want to normalise as much as possible,” added Pioli.

“We’re working to return to normality. We have a busy few weeks ahead of us, and the aim is to get as many players back as possible. We’re working on certain situations, especially on an individual level, to improve everyone’s condition.”

Pioli revealed that Ismael Bennacer will play from the start as he continues his return following a seven-month lay-off with an ankle ligament injury.

However, there remains some concern in Milan over Bennacer’s inclusion in the provisional Algeria squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

“He’s now in better shape and will start in Salerno, and he will remain on the pitch for as long as he has the energy needed to help us,” added Pioli.

“As regards his national team, we’re not the ones who decide the calendar. If he accepts the call-up to play for Algeria, he’ll take part in the African Nations Cup. It will be up to us to find solutions.”

Bottom club Salernitana head into the game on the back of three straight defeats including a 4-1 loss at Atalanta on Monday night that kept their points for the season in single figures.

They are managed by Filippo Inzaghi, who made over 200 appearances for Milan between 2001 and 2012, and Pioli is relishing another meeting with a man so steeped in the club’s history.

“Pippo made history with AC Milan,” said Pioli. “He gave a lot to the club, won many titles, and entered the Rossoneri fans’ hearts.

“He knows that it’s normal to experience difficult moments in our profession. I wish him a lot of luck, even if we’ll be opponents tomorrow and looking to get the better of one another.”

Celtic defender Liam Scales admits it hurt to hear manager Brendan Rodgers claim he was unsurprised by their poor performance in defeat by Hearts.

The Irishman believes he and his team-mates will be stung into action by Rodgers’ assessment when they host Livingston on Saturday.

It was a first domestic defeat at Celtic Park for almost three years but a second consecutive loss in the cinch Premiership – the first time the champions have lost back-to-back league games in more than a decade.

Celtic had already drawn at home to St Johnstone and Motherwell this season and Rodgers had revealed he was the angriest he had ever been as a manager when his side trailed in Perth weeks earlier.

Scales was among a small group of players Rodgers absolved of blame following Celtic’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts but he believes the assessment will spark them out of complacency.

Scales said: “I can see where he’s coming from. It’s not nice to hear but obviously performances haven’t been where they should probably be. He makes a good point.

“It does hurt as a player to hear that. We need to change that and not let that be the case again.

“We feel like sometimes we expect it to just happen. Just playing at home or against teams in the league, just expecting it to happen without going out and taking it by the horns and being aggressive and going and winning.

“We can’t just show up and that’s maybe where we need to brush up.”

Defeats by Kilmarnock and Hearts have seen Celtic’s lead at the top of the table cut to two points.

Rangers have a game in hand and are unbeaten in 15 matches under Philippe Clement with the Viaplay Cup also back at Ibrox for the first time in 13 seasons.

Celtic fans are concerned about their team’s form, especially with a game against Rangers to come on December 30 before Rodgers has the chance to strengthen his squad.

However, Scales is confident they will get back to their best quickly.

“It’s been a tough week getting to grips with it,” said the Republic of Ireland international as the club announced the Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas Appeal had raised £397,000 for charities in Scotland and Ireland.

“We’re getting over it and we know we need to bounce back. We are working hard to do that. We’ve had a week to prepare which is unusual with the schedule we have. We’ve been using the week well to go over things and fine-tune things for the upcoming games.

“We know it’s not good enough for Celtic. The pressure is there and you know you need to win games and anything but a win isn’t good enough. Over the course of a season it’s not disastrous, if we bounce back and do well it should be fine. But it’s been a tough week and we just need to fix it now.

“It’s in our hands to turn it around. It’s a minor blip in the course of the season and we need to turn the corner and get over it. It’s not a complete disaster.”

Boss Unai Emery has urged Aston Villa to avoid complacency as they eye the Premier League’s summit.

Victory over struggling Sheffield United on Friday will send Villa top and add weight to any title claims.

They would remain top at Christmas if Arsenal and Liverpool draw on Saturday after Emery took over when Villa were 14th in October last year.

They have won 15 straight home league games – including beating Arsenal and Manchester City – but Emery remains wary of the rock-bottom Blades.

“I have to try to keep the same motivation and the same preparation for the matches as we have been doing. I can remind them and myself of some matches we played before we started winning,” he said, with Villa third, a point behind leaders Arsenal.

“When we are not playing in our structure and organising our structure with and without the ball, even against the best team or bottom team in the table, we are closer to losing.

“My concern with the players is being consistent, to be consistent preparing the match, to be consistent during the match and focusing on our game plan.

“When we were winning against, more or less, the best teams in the Premier League like Arsenal and Manchester City in the last two matches at home we are now facing the same difficulty against Sheffield as against Arsenal and City.”

Boubacar Kamara is banned after his red card in the 2-1 win at Brentford and starts a three-game suspension.

Pau Torres, Bertrand Traore and Youri Tielemans are injured but Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne will return.

Emery added: “Youri, we are thinking maybe not more than two weeks, but he is now working alone and recovering his injury in his calf. Pau Torres, it is his ankle. It’s a small injury.

“Every day coming is important to how he is improving, I don’t know if he will be available for Manchester United, but he could be.”

Vincent Kompany has welcomed referee Rebecca Welch’s “milestone” appointment and insists his Burnley players will not modify their behaviour when she takes charge of their game with Fulham.

Welch will break new ground once again at Craven Cottage on Saturday, the 40-year-old from Tyne and Wear having in November become the first female to act as fourth official in a Premier League match.

“It’s certainly a benchmark and milestone,” Burnley boss Kompany said of Welch’s top-flight bow in the middle.

“I think she’ll take great pride in having done it herself. There’s a lot of women – in general, but in the game as well specifically – who will see this as a way to achieve at the highest level.

“I am always pro any kind of extension anyway because what it does is widen the pool of talent.

“We need access to all the available talent, the best referees in the best league in the world.”

Kompany insists the attitude of his players will be the same at Fulham as if a male referee was in the middle.

He said: “I wouldn’t allow it (be different) anyway, but in general it shouldn’t. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I don’t know.

“But in the end we want to win our games, the opposition want to win their games, and it’s about the players on the pitch.

“It shouldn’t be really about the official or the manager. It should be about the players and, in that sense, I can’t see why we wouldn’t have that normality.

“Of course the story is bigger and deserves to be bigger, but once the whistle blows every actor on the day will want the players to be highlighted.”

There is another landmark refereeing appointment on Boxing Day as Sam Allison will become the first black man to officiate a top-flight game in 15 years.

Allison will take charge of Sheffield United’s home game against Luton, following in the footsteps of Uriah Rennie who was the last black referee to take charge of a Premier League game in 2008.

Asked if it was a sign of changing times in football, Kompany said: “I think so. They are little milestones, but what you have to look at is not necessarily the person itself.

“Behind it there is a lot of people who don’t think it’s possible and that they can’t achieve it. By seeing those examples they will say ‘I could be the next one or do something positive’.

“To give access to opportunities with dreams is important at every level of society.

“What I would love to see is multi-coloured and multi-ethnic boardrooms that make decisions about what we’re going to discuss during the week.”

Nicky Henderson feels Champ has gone a long way to living up to his name as he goes in search of a second Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.

Owned by JP McManus, the soon-to-be 12-year-old won the race two years ago under Jonjo O’Neill jnr and he has maintained the partnership ever since.

Famously named after former champion jockey AP McCoy, Champ was a dual Grade One-winning novice hurdler as well as winning a Grade One novice chase at Cheltenham, beating Minella Indo and Allaho in dramatic style.

He will be making his first appearance of the season at Ascot but that is by design, with Henderson confident he is at his best fresh.

“He’s actually very good. He’s one of our real friends, he’s been here a long, long time,” Henderson told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s lived up to his name in a lot of ways and you couldn’t have a nicer horse.

“He’s very laid back at home, he doesn’t show you an awful lot and he loves to be fresh.

“Last year we started at Newbury when he had a fantastic battle with Paisley Park and then came to the Long Walk, but we’ve always thought he’s possibly best first time out, so we kept him back from Newbury to have a crack at this again.

“Last year after the Long Walk we decided not to go to Cheltenham and keep him for Aintree, but it didn’t really work.

“He works with another old friend, On The Blind Side, who ran a fantastic race at Sandown the other day and they do all their work together but you can hardly call it work, they just go through the motions enjoying themselves.”

With fellow veterans Dashel Drasher and Paisley Park in opposition along with some much younger rivals, Henderson is looking forward to the race.

He said: “You are never confident about any of these Grade One races, it’s going to be very competitive and you can be pretty sure it will be a solid gallop with Dashel Drasher there.

“Paisley will be lurking around, one minute you think you’ve got him covered and then he’ll suddenly reappear at the death – it should be good.”

Editeur Du Gite is set for a return to Kempton over the Christmas period where he will attempt to defend his Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown.

Gary Moore’s nine-year-old was a shock 28-1 scorer when landing the then Grade Two prize 12 months ago and went on to claim the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham, downing Energumene and Edwardstone in the process.

He has failed to hit those same heights since, but could be rejuvenated by a return to both the Sunbury track and better ground for a race that is now run as a limited handicap.

“Hopefully the ground wouldn’t be too soft for him because he does like better ground and he hasn’t had it so far this year,” said Moore. “We look forward to seeing him run there again.”

Editeur Du Gite could face a maximum of 10 rivals which could include former stablemate and Tingle Creek third Haddex Des Obeaux, who has since moved to Nicky Henderson and is in line for his first outing for the Seven Barrows handler.

Harry Fry’s Boothill made it two from two for the season when getting the better Frere D’Armes at Ascot last month and the duo could lock horns once again, with the latter one of two in the mix for Dan Skelton alongside 2020 race winner Nube Negra.

Kim Bailey’s First Flow is another to chase home Boothill this term and amongst the entries, while Joe Tizzard has the option of saddling both the in-form Elixir De Nutz and War Lord.

The supporting Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase has attracted 10 entries and could see Sarah Humphrey’s Nickle Back drop back to the minimum distance.

The seven-year-old has been something of a star turn for the Cambridgeshire handler and was last seen chasing home the high-class Hermes Allen in the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.

Humphrey said: “He’s got that high cruising speed and I have dithered about doing it, but thought ‘yes, we’ll give two miles a go’.

“He has obviously won over two and a half miles and runs very well but he does tend to set it up for the ones behind him, so we’ll drop him back, give him a go and see what happens.”

Others to note include Venetia Williams’ Djelo, who is two from two over fences and impressed at Newbury recently, and the useful Marble Sands, who was a couple of places behind Nickle Back most recently and represents training duo David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.

Editeur Du Gite is set for a return to Kempton over the Christmas period where he will attempt to defend his Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown.

Gary Moore’s nine-year-old was a shock 28-1 scorer when landing the then Grade Two prize 12 months ago and went on to claim the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham, downing Energumene and Edwardstone in the process.

He has failed to hit those same heights since, but could be rejuvenated by a return to both the Sunbury track and better ground for a race that is now run as a limited handicap.

“Hopefully the ground wouldn’t be too soft for him because he does like better ground and he hasn’t had it so far this year,” said Moore. “We look forward to seeing him run there again.”

Editeur Du Gite could face a maximum of 10 rivals which could include former stablemate and Tingle Creek third Haddex Des Obeaux, who has since moved to Nicky Henderson and is in line for his first outing for the Seven Barrows handler.

Harry Fry’s Boothill made it two from two for the season when getting the better Frere D’Armes at Ascot last month and the duo could lock horns once again, with the latter one of two in the mix for Dan Skelton alongside 2020 race winner Nube Negra.

Kim Bailey’s First Flow is another to chase home Boothill this term and amongst the entries, while Joe Tizzard has the option of saddling both the in-form Elixir De Nutz and War Lord.

The supporting Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase has attracted 10 entries and could see Sarah Humphrey’s Nickle Back drop back to the minimum distance.

The seven-year-old has been something of a star turn for the Cambridgeshire handler and was last seen chasing home the high-class Hermes Allen in the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.

Humphrey said: “He’s got that high cruising speed and I have dithered about doing it, but thought ‘yes, we’ll give two miles a go’.

“He has obviously won over two and a half miles and runs very well but he does tend to set it up for the ones behind him, so we’ll drop him back, give him a go and see what happens.”

Others to note include Venetia Williams’ Djelo, who is two from two over fences and impressed at Newbury recently, and the useful Marble Sands, who was a couple of places behind Nickle Back most recently and represents training duo David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.

Jonjo O’Neill’s ante-post favourite Monbeg Genuis has been ruled out of the Coral Welsh National due to a foot abscess.

The chaser had led the market since a fine third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and appeared to have plenty of the required attributes for the Chepstow marathon.

However, his name was not among the 22 who remain in contention for the December 27 showpiece and O’Neill admitted the timing of the foot issue could not be worse.

“He’s got an abscess so he won’t be ready in time, unfortunately,” said O’Neill.

“He did pick up a few cuts at Newbury, but it’s nothing to do with them, they’d all cleared up. If it’s not one thing, it’s another thing.

“It’s very annoying but when they are not right you can’t run them. He’ll be all right but it’s just the wrong time.

“Unfortunately I didn’t tell him he was running!

“We might have a look at the Classic Chase at Warwick or the race at Lingfield (Fleur de Lys Chase). I’m not really thinking to be honest, I just want to get him back.”

O’Neill is still likely to be represented in the race by Iron Bridge, who also holds an entry in Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day.

“He’ll go to Chepstow all being well. I put him in at Wetherby because you never know with the weather and one thing or another, but Chepstow was always the plan,” he said.

“He didn’t run great the last day, it was maybe a combination of the trip being a bit sharp on decent ground.

“He seems in good form at home but you’d have liked to get a proper run into him beforehand, it’s a big race. He’s as good as we can have him without another run, so we’ll take our chance.”

Previous winner Iwilldoit tops the weights with Complete Unknown, The Big Breakaway, The Galloping Bear, Chambard and Autonomous Cloud all in contention.

The Jamie Snowden-trained Super Survivor, winner of a novice heat on the Welsh National undercard last year and second on his seasonal bow at Lingfield, is the new 9-2 favourite with the sponsor following Monbeg Genius’ withdrawal.

Luton captain Tom Lockyer has been discharged from hospital following a successful procedure to fit an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD).

Lockyer collapsed in the 59th minute of Saturday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth after he suffered a cardiac arrest, which resulted in the game being abandoned.

Luton said the 29-year-old Lockyer has now begun a period of rehabilitation at his own home in the wake of the incident, which they said was unrelated to his previous collapse in the play-off final in May.

The club said in a statement: “We are thankful to report that our captain Tom Lockyer has now begun a period of rehabilitation from the comfort of his own home after he was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.

“This encouraging news follows a successful procedure that took place on Tuesday whereby Tom had an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) device fitted to prevent a repeat of Saturday’s incident.

“The club, Tom and the Lockyer family would like to take this opportunity to repeat our collective heartfelt thanks to all at Bournemouth, their supporters, club officials and especially their medical staff and midfielder Philip Billing, who was the first to reach Tom on the pitch and summon assistance.”

Concerns for Lockyer’s health had been heightened given the previous incident, during the play-off final victory over Coventry, following which Lockyer underwent surgery to correct an atrial fibrillation.

He subsequently returned to action for the start of the new season and had made 15 appearances in all competitions before Saturday’s match.

But Luton’s statement continued: “The clinical advice Tom and the Club has taken since the Championship play-off final has been conducted by the most renowned cardiologists, who have been involved at every step, along with a team of supporting multi-disciplinary consultants.

“We can now confirm that the tests taken this week had revealed that the issue Tom experienced on Saturday was different to the atrial fibrillation he suffered in May.”

Bournemouth sent their support for Lockyer in a post on their social media accounts, responding: “We couldn’t be happier to hear this news. We’re wishing Tom well for his continued recovery.”

The Premier League announced on Wednesday that the match will be replayed in full on a date yet to be confirmed.

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer David Eustace is to leave Australia for a new role in Hong Kong.

UK-born Eustace has been a joint-trainer with Ciaron Maher since 2018 and the pair have built up one of the most successful operations in Australia.

They have been champion trainers in Victoria for the past four seasons and are the current holders of the national trainers’ championship.

The pair have jointly trained over 1,600 winners which have included 30 Group Ones, with Gold Trip’s Melbourne Cup win last year arguably the highlight.

Eustace said: “My mother Gay is David Oughton’s sister and as a nine or 10-year-old, I was aware of David training over in Hong Kong and thought that it would be an amazing experience to train there eventually and it has genuinely been something in the forefront of my mind since then, really.

“It’s a great honour to be invited to train in Hong Kong. There are limited spots and there’s fierce competition, which certainly excites me. I think it’s a rare opportunity for someone probably of my age (32) to be able to go there and hopefully have a long and successful career – that’s certainly the aim.”

Eustace built up a strong body of work in Australia and feels now is the time to make the break on his own. His father, James, was a long-standing trainer in Newmarket while brother Harry is already a Royal Ascot winner.

“I spent a year with Peter Moody and then another year with Peter and Paul Snowden the year Capitalist won the Golden Slipper and that was fantastic. After that, Ciaron got in touch and I started working with him in 2015,” said Eustace.

“I hope to bring a varied style of training with experiences from the UK, experiences from Australia and with an emphasis on using sports science and data to enhance a horse’s training, longevity and careers in Hong Kong,”

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott admitted he was his own worst critic and would not be happy until he was providing regular goals and assists for the team.

The 20-year-old was one of the better players – particularly in the first half – of the 5-1 Carabao Cup win at home to West Ham which booked a two-legged semi-final against Fulham.

But despite having a couple of shots and taking up good positions in between the lines, he was not one of the four goalscorers on the night as that honour went to Curtis Jones (two), Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.

Elliott said only a week ago he did not want to earn a reputation as a super-sub after just nine starts in 23 appearances this season but after what he felt was a less-than productive evening against the woeful Hammers, he vowed to improve.

“I’m disappointed with myself. I feel I should have scored a few goals but I am just happy the team won,” he said after helping the club secure a record 19th League Cup semi-final.

“It is all well and good doing what I did but at the end of the day my job is to score and create and I didn’t do it so it is something I need to reflect on going into the next game.

“I’m happy with myself but I’m annoyed with myself at the same time. But it’s not about who scores the goals, it is about making sure we get the job done and getting into the next round.”

On his harsh self-critique, Elliott added: “It’s just the way I’ve been brought up with my family, especially my dad who has always been critical of my performances and it is something I’ve brought along with me.

“It’s not for me to go home and beat myself up over it but something to reflect on in the next couple of days and make sure when I get these opportunities again, I take them. It is about making myself a better player.”

With a two-legged semi-final to come in January, the focus returns to the Premier League this weekend.

The visit or Arsenal on Saturday provides Jurgen Klopp’s side with the opportunity to be top of the table at Christmas.

Despite his good showing, Elliott is likely to find himself on the bench again for that game with Salah set to return.

“You can’t be upset if you don’t start. You know if you do start, you need to put in a performance to keep you in the team,” he added.

“That’s football and the joys of this team. You look at the squad depth and see the lads who didn’t play, who were out but maybe will feature at the weekend. We have massive quality.

“We need to take it game by game and can’t be thinking ahead or getting too worked up about tonight’s performances. We need to make sure we are right at the weekend.”

It may be top versus second but Elliott insisted at this stage, it was unlikely to have much bearing on the title race.

“It’s a long way to go, many games left to the end of the season,” he said.

“It’s the Premier League and you never know what’s going to happen and it could be a massive game.

“We are going in to win it and nothing else is good enough for us. We just need to make sure we get the three points.”