Jim Crowley is feeling “very confident” about Mostahdaf’s chances in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old is poised for what is likely to be his final outing at Santa Anita before he embarks on a career at stud.

His services will surely be well sought after given his most recent performances have been career bests, in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International, two of the most prestigious 10-furlong races anywhere in the world.

He was due to run in the Champion Stakes at Ascot two weeks ago, but after John Gosden initially gave him the go-ahead having walked the track, a downpour mid-afternoon meant he did not race and was rerouted to America.

Crowley was not on board for his most recent outing at York as he was serving a whip suspension, with Frankie Dettori stepping in. And there is little doubt he is very excited about being reunited.

“The first time I’ve sat on him here was this morning and I’m very happy with the way he felt. He moved great in an easy canter for a circuit. He will probably go a little bit quicker tomorrow,” said Crowley.

“He was very well behaved and behaves himself better when he’s abroad than at home.

“He has plenty of pace, and you can park him up anywhere. I’m very confident.”

James Harden is on track to make his Clippers debut on Monday when Los Angeles faces the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

Philadelphia agreed to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles on Tuesday in exchange for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a first-round pick that can be routed from a third team.

The trade ended the saga between the 76ers and Harden, who in August blasted team president Darly Morey at a promotional event in China.

"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of," Harden said. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."

Harden's comments were a response to the 76ers telling Harden's agent that Morey was unable to find a trade for the 2017-18 NBA MVP, and the franchise wouldn't deal him unless it could find a trade that would help Philadelphia contend for a championship.

Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season in late June, and then immediately requested a trade.

He could have declined the option and become a free agent but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.

Harden reiterated his stance in early October, saying his relationship with Morey is beyond repair and he still wanted to be traded.

ESPN reported that Harden is delighted to be joining the Clippers, where he will team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. There will also be a reunion with Russell Westbrook, who Harden played alongside for the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden averaged 21 points, an NBA-best 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season.

Sean Kirrane will forever be grateful for the loyalty shown by Adam West and the De’Lemos family as he prepares to make his Breeders’ Cup bow aboard Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream.

The horse has proved appropriately named for the 23-year-old Irishman, who tasted Group One glory in his very first ride at the top level aboard the West-trained four-year-old on the Knavesmire.

That blistering all-the-way success secured Live In The Dream’s ticket to Santa Anita and Kirrane, who has partnered the gelding in 11 of his 19 career starts, is eager to point out it would have been easy for connections to plump for one of the weighing room’s star names for their once-in-a-lifetime tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

He said: “They would have had plenty of phone calls to ride this horse, even on the smaller days when he ran in the Temple Stakes and the race after that and the Nunthorpe. This particular day I’m sure they will have had plenty of phone calls, but their loyalty to me has been outstanding and I can’t thank them enough.

“Adam, Steve and Jolene have stuck by me and they have had me for plenty of days in the sun before the Nunthorpe and for them to give me my first ride in a Group One was amazing. I was so glad to reward them on the day for putting their faith in me.”

The 23-year-old Irishman is based in Yorkshire and a regular on the northern circuit, but has a flying visit to Epsom to thank for his long-lasting relationship with West and an association that has thrived from the very beginning.

“It’s probably an unusual match to have a northern-based jockey match-up with an Epsom and truly southern-based trainer and Adam was a completely chance contact,” continued Kirrane.

“I was claiming and riding for David O’Meara at the time and he had me down south two days in a row, he had me at Epsom one day, then Goodwood the next. I was staying over in Epsom and just thought ‘how can I use up the following morning’, so gave Adam a call to see if I could go ride out.

“He said ‘yes, pop in for a couple of lots’ and the first horse he put me on was a filly called Sky Blue Thinking. I’ll never forget her as she won three on the bounce and got me and Adam off to a flyer.

“We’ve had a really good strike-rate and great association ever since and now here we are.”

Their journey together came to a crescendo at York in the summer when Live In The Dream blazed a trail to give both trainer and jockey a first Group One triumph.

Connections always had the utmost belief that their sprinting star could one day climb to the top of the speedster’s ladder, but Live In The Dream’s underdog story has propelled a young rider fresh out of his claim and a trainer searching to make his name in the game firmly into the spotlight.

“He’s achieved things this year that none of us thought we might ever achieve,” continued Kirrane.

“We thought he had a lot of potential for maybe next year, but the fact he has achieved so much this year has been excellent and we owe the horse a lot.

“I don’t know how far I’ll get in my career but he’s a horse I will never forget. He’s given me a massive boost by winning the Nunthorpe so soon after losing my claim and it’s something a jockey in my position sort of never dreams.

“I have this horse and I knew he was capable of a lot, but it was so special to get a big winner on the board and then to have the opportunity to come here. I suppose we’ve already won this year regardless of what happens on Saturday, but to just be here with the horse while he is in such great form is excellent.”

He continued: “This is what we do Wolverhampton on a Monday and Catterick on Tuesday for. We do it to get the opportunities on the big days and the weekends. This is definitely one of those big days and whatever happens on Saturday, we all owe the horse an awful lot. For me it is not just a massive eye-opener but a brilliant experience.”

Since success in the Nunthorpe, West has left no stone unturned in his quest for Breeders’ Cup glory and that included sending both Live In The Dream and Kirrane to Keeneland to tune-up for their Santa Anita assignment in the Woodford Stakes.

Live In The Dream would eventually fade to fourth in the five-and-a-half-furlong contest but having shown up well, his rider is confident that first taste of American soil will have played a key role in preparing for his main objective.

“Keeneland was a nice race to start off his campaign in the States in,” said Kirrane.

“Adam picked that race out and being five and a half furlongs, ultimately that did stretch him really. There was quite a strong headwind on the day and he was really pressed for the lead the whole way round which wasn’t ideal and doing quite a bit early on just caught him out late in the day in the last half-furlong.

“He showed us everything we wanted to see on that day and it was really important to get him here and find a race on the grass for him really, which is exactly what Adam did. It really sets us up nicely for Saturday.

“Adam is a spectacular judge of what he has and what hand he has to play. It was the same when we went to Deauville, he knew he might need the run and that was exactly what happened – he was a fading fourth that day on very soft ground.

“He came out the next day and won the Nunthorpe and Adam was absolutely spot on in getting him right. He was spot on in predicting how he would run at Keeneland and hopefully he will be spot on about how he will run at Santa Anita.”

Kirrane has already had a taste of the Santa Anita turf when putting Live In The Dream through his paces ahead of this weekend’s big race.

The Dublin native is hoping to extend his stay in California beyond the Breeders’ Cup and is keen to make the most of his time in America, rather than jet back for the start of the all-weather season in the UK.

“I took Live In The Dream out for a canter and he just did a swinger from the three marker and he felt great,” he added.

“The turf was riding great – they sectioned off the outer half of the turf track for us to canter on – and he went round the bend lovely and it is all systems go.

“There are a couple of trainers I’ve been in contact with because I’m planning a little stint out here up until Christmas.

“I think at this time of year, the prize-money on the all-weather is extremely poor and you find yourself riding horses that have come off the grass and have had too much racing.

“Then you are getting all-weather horses returning who need the run and it is just a good opportunity for me to come out here, ride work off the clock again and tune up that aspect of my riding.”

Alun Wyn Jones hopes Wales making the last eight of the Rugby World Cup in France “does not paper over the cracks” in the game nationwide.

Jones – world rugby’s most capped player – will captain the Barbarians against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday with the curtain about to come down on his distinguished career.

The 38-year-old was named in Warren Gatland’s preliminary World Cup squad before announcing his international retirement in May after 170 Test matches – 158 for Wales and 12 for the British and Irish Lions.

Wales went on to reach the quarter-finals in France in what was considered relative success after a tumultuous 12 months.

Gatland returned as head coach following Wayne Pivac’s departure in December, but Wales won only once in the Six Nations as the threat of a player-strike was averted at the last minute.

The Welsh Rugby Union was also embroiled in a sexism and misogyny scandal off the field.

Jones said: “I am just pleased for the players for the success they had on the backdrop of a tough year for Welsh rugby.

“I just hope it does not paper over the cracks because there are deeper-rooted issues that need to be sorted.

“I hope we don’t end up in the cycle where we keep doing well every four years but we have another drought in between. Hopefully it kicks on the right way with a young group of players I believe can achieve lots.”

Jones has two more weeks left of a short-term Toulon deal he signed after his 17-year stay at the Ospreys ended in June.

He says then that “will be me done”, but Jones hinted he may remain within the sport in some capacity.

“I care about Welsh sport and I care about rugby, and I want to make sure it is in the best possible place it can be,” Jones said.

“You have got to get a few more miles on the clock in certain areas to have that influence (to determine matters).

“It depends what was needed. There are a lot of stuff like financial things and we have just got to make sure we keep player welfare and players at the forefront – that is the main thing for me.”

Jones hopes the tradition of Barbarians rugby, as well as the Lions which has seen tours to the southern hemisphere shortened in the professional age, survives as the game moves forward.

He said: “We’re very blessed as a sport that we’ve got the Barbarians, the Lions, and some classic traditions.

“I think the Barbarians has actually helped some teams because when some of the Premiership sides went, the Barbarians stepped in to sustain them.

“With regards to the Lions it’s similar to the Barbarians. I think it’s something the game needs. There are not many other sports that do it.

“We don’t have a 15s Olympic team. I think you still need something within the sport like that. It gives a focal point for the sport for players and supporters to follow.”

Barbarians team:I Droasese (Fiji), S Stevenson (New Zealand), L Ikitau (Australia), I Perese (Australia), S Ravutaumada (Fiji), N Sanchez (Argentina), S Kuruvoli (Fiji); J Moody (New Zealand), T Ikanivere (Fiji), T Tupou (Australia), R Leota (Australia), AW Jones (capt, Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), M Hooper (Australia), R Valetini (Australia).

Al Dancer is unlikely to defend his Boylesports Grand Sefton title at Aintree later this month, with Sam Thomas instead eyeing up a shot at the Trustatrader Peterborough Chase.

Having outbattled Gesskille to claim the Grand Sefton last season, he again showed his liking for the Merseyside venue when a staying-on third off a career-high mark in the Old Roan Chase – a race in which all the fences up the home straight were omitted.

The in-form 10-year-old, who kicked off his season with a commanding win at Chepstow, is as short as 7-1 in places to go back-to-back in the season’s first race over the National fences on November 11.

However, his handler believes the contest may come to soon for the thriving grey and is keen to wait an extra month for Grade Two action at Huntingdon on December 10.

“I was absolutely delighted with him and he put in another very solid run in what was a very competitive race I thought,” said Thomas.

“I don’t actually know if it helped or hindered him having the fences taken out, but it was just lovely to see him staying on again and run a really nice race off a career-high mark. We were absolutely thrilled.

“I think realistically the Grand Sefton will come a bit too soon. The reasoning behind going for the Old Roan was we felt he was in the form of his life and it is a very prestigious Grade Two race. We took our chance there and I would say it is fairly unlikely we will go to Aintree again now.

“Potentially the Peterborough maybe, going the other way round, will suit him. He does jump out a bit to his right and lugs a bit right so that would certainly help him. I think that might be on the calendar, providing he’s in good shape to go there.”

Thomas has made a blistering start to the winter with his string and another of his Chepstow scorers, Stolen Silver, is set to bypass another crack at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup in favour of remaining at three miles and a shot at Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup on December 2.

“We chucked him in the Paddy Power in case it was going to go absolutely bottomless there, but realistically the plan is to go to the Coral Gold Cup,” added Thomas.

“I think he certainly enjoyed himself over that trip and has a bit more to offer maybe. It certainly opens a few more doors for us and the fact he was a lot more settled in his race gives us a few more options really.

“You are dictated to what trip you can run a horse over by how they sort of conduct themselves in a race, but now he’s settling I think we have to step him up.”

Fugitif is on course to reappear in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 18.

The Richard Hobson-trained eight-year-old improved markedly last season, beginning the campaign rated 131 and ending it with a mark of 153.

Having finished second at Cheltenham both on Trials Day and at the Festival in March, Hobson has no concerns over the course or distance, and is just hoping Fugitif gets his favoured soft ground.

“We’re all on course for the Paddy Power,” said Hobson. “We know he likes the course and distance and if he gets his ground he could be very dangerous.

“He wasn’t right at the end of the season when he ran at Aintree so we can safely put a line through that run, but prior to that he’d been very progressive.

“He’s 17:2hh so with another summer on his back you can only imagine how much he has strengthened up.

“He does need a cut in the ground, you saw last year at Chepstow when he won it was very soft that day and he loved it, he never came off the bridle.

“I think the middle distance at Cheltenham is right up his street myself, but I did put him in the King George because if he wins the Paddy Power it’s a flat three miles and on his pedigree who should get it. It’s only an early entry, though.”

England were handed another blow in their Nations League campaign on Tuesday night after losing 3-2 to Belgium.

A late penalty from captain Tessa Wullaert handed the Red Flames victory as the Lionesses tumbled to third place in Group A1.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what has happened to England in the competition.

What’s actually at stake in the Nations League?

This year marks the inaugural Nations League competition in women’s football and takes a similar format to the men’s edition, where 51 competing nations are divided into two leagues of 16 and one of 19.

Crucially there is plenty to play for in the tournament as the winners from League A will reach the finals, which also act as Europe’s 2024 Olympic qualifiers – meaning that a place in Paris is up for grabs.

Tuesday’s loss to Belgium means England’s hopes of Olympic qualification are in danger with only two games remaining in the competition to try and turn things around.

What happened on Tuesday?

Having beaten Belgium at Leicester on Friday night, the Lionesses travelled to Leuven in the reverse fixture on Tuesday hoping to boost their chances of qualification.

They got off to a poor start, falling behind to Laura De Neve’s ninth-minute free-kick before Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood was carried off the pitch on a stretcher following a clash of heads and received treatment on the pitch for over 10 minutes. City confirmed on Wednesday that she will return to the club for further assessment.

England took the lead through goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby in quick succession, but Wullaert levelled things deep into first-half stoppage time.

The Belgian captain came to her side’s rescue again in the 85th minute, slotting home from the penalty spot to leapfrog England into second.

How have England done so far?

Defeat to Belgium handed England their second Nations League loss in four matches, but the Lionesses have already endured plenty of tough challenges in Group A1.

Kicking off their campaign in Sunderland, England were able to seal a 2-1 win in a closely-fought contest against Scotland where the visitors were unable to capitalise on a multitude of chances in the second half.

However, defeat followed in Utrecht as Renate Jansen struck in the 90th minute for the Netherlands to squeeze a 2-1 victory against their former boss Sarina Wiegman.

Lauren Hemp’s goal gave England an important three points with a 1-0 win against Belgium on Friday, but the reverse fixture ended in defeat on Tuesday.

What does the table look like now?

With two wins and two losses, the Lionesses are third in the table, just one point behind the Red Flames in the standings.

The Netherlands are on track for that vital Olympic spot after back-to-back wins against Scotland ensured they sit at the summit, having won three and lost only one of their four games so far.

Scotland are at the foot of the table with only one point picked up throughout the competition, which came during their 1-1 draw against Belgium in September thanks to Sophie Howard’s last-gasp header.

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England’s slim hopes of Olympic qualification continue in December when the next round of fixtures are set to be played.

The Lionesses kick off matchday five at Wembley, where they come up against the Netherlands on December 1 before travelling to Hampden Park to play their final fixture against Scotland four days later.

Belgium will host Scotland before taking on the Netherlands where two wins would see England miss out on the top spot regardless of how the Lionesses do and Wiegman knows the challenges that lie ahead for her side.

She said post-match on Tuesday: “First of all, we have to win with more than one goal against the Netherlands at Wembley, and then we have to win the other game too, because Belgium is in a very good place too.

“We know we have work to do – we always do, but we have put ourselves in a hard position at the moment.”

Algiers will miss the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile due to a minor foot issue.

The Dubai World Cup runner-up was one of the leading fancies for his selected race, and was second favourite behind last year’s winner Cody’s Wish.

However, it emerged overnight that Algiers had been scratched and a post on trainers Simon and Ed Crisford’s Gainsborough Thoroughbreds social media account confirmed the news.

It read: “Unfortunately Algiers won’t be able to run in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He is going to have to miss a few days training due to a minor foot issue. He will now be prepared for a winter in Dubai.”

The three-year-old Practical Move, another leading fancy for the race, died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday when returning from exercise on the Santa Anita track.

David Menuisier can head into the winter dreaming of big-race glory in 2024 thanks to the recent exploits of some of his star two-year-olds.

By his own admission the Frenchman has endured a tough campaign, with winners hard to find throughout the height of the Flat season.

However, some of the younger members of Menuisier’s Coombelands string, such as Sunway and Devil’s Point, have come to the fore at the backend of the campaign as the handler finishes the 2023 turf season on a real high.

Menuisier said: “It’s great and we’ve had a bit of a tough time with the older horses, especially the three-year-olds throughout the season, so it’s nice that the two-year-olds have kind of saved the year for us and especially in such a fashion.

“We knew we had a nice bunch but it’s hard to predict, even six weeks ago, that they are as good as they actually are.”

After Sunway provided Menuisier with just his fourth Group One triumph when landing the Criterium International, the handler returned to his homeland to plunder more big-race glory just five days later when crack two-year-old fillies War Chimes and Tamfana won the Prix Isonomy and Prix Miesque respectively.

A day later Devil’s Point capped a fine week for the trainer when finishing a brave second to Ancient Wisdom in Doncaster’s Futurity Stakes, a performance which thrilled Menuisier.

“In all honesty the French race worked out really well – the Thomas Bryon that he ran in as a prep,” explained Menuisier.

“That race wasn’t really run to suit and the ground was not quite as soft as it should be for him to show his true potential, so we felt we would find a bit more improvement in the Futurity and he did.

“It was very satisfactory and he was just beaten by a better horse on the day. There is not much more you can say, it was absolutely fantastic.”

Menuisier is yet to taste Classic success but he appears to have plenty of ammunition tucked away at his West Sussex base for 2024 and can now savour the prospect of aiming his high-class youngsters at some of racing’s biggest races when they return to the track next season.

“We’ve had a tough season so I think it is important until Christmas to stay on a bit of a cloud and then from January onwards we can start working out plans for all of them,” he said.

“It is hard to tell how much more improvement they are going to find but War Chimes looks like a lovely middle-distance stayer and Tamfana could be literally anything. She has won over seven furlongs and she won her maiden over a mile. She’s got speed and should stay a bit and is very exciting.

“Obviously the two colts, Sunway and Devil’s Point, are ones for the Classics as well and we have some other horses that we won with and put away like Goodwood Odyssey and Ashariba and a few more that have run only once or not at all that will come to hand next season.

“It is exciting and we don’t want to get too excited too soon, but it is time to reflect and enjoy now and hopefully things go according to plan and we can get excited again next spring. I’m looking forward to it.”

Alex Greenwood is well enough to return home and is set to be checked out by Manchester City after sustaining a head injury while on England duty.

England’s 3-2 Women’s Nations League loss in Belgium on Tuesday evening was compounded by Greenwood being carried off on a stretcher following an accidental clash of heads with Jassina Blom in the first half.

Greenwood was “conscious and talking” afterwards, according to Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman, who added: “I haven’t talked to the medical staff yet. She’s alright – when she’s walking, she’s alright.”

City issued a further update on their defender, who received treatment for more than 10 minutes on the field before being taken off and replaced by Chelsea’s Jess Carter.

A statement on City’s website on Wednesday morning said: “Alex Greenwood will return to the City Football Academy for further medical assessments after sustaining a head injury on international duty.

“We can confirm she has been carefully monitored, is alert and well and will return home later today ahead of a review with our medical team.”

England’s hopes of progressing in the competition suffered a blow following a second loss, with Belgium leapfrogging the Lionesses into second place in their group after a seesaw encounter in Leuven.

Belgium took the lead through Laura de Neve but an England side missing several key players hit back through Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby before a leveller from Tessa Wullaert, who then scored a penalty.

Former England captain Faye White believes this will be a good test of the resolve of the Euro 2022 champions and Women’s World Cup finalists and called on them to be more clinical in front of goal.

“I think after major tournaments in the past, England have always gone into really easy qualifying group games and this Nations League is a good test now because it’s higher quality opposition, almost like the knockouts or a group stage of a of a tournament,” White told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It’s dealing with all these different factors, plus (they had) two real key players still out, waiting for Beth Mead and Leah Williamson to come back. Lauren James wasn’t available either in the squad.

“But we’re strong enough still to be able to get these games – when you make 18 chances but only put two away and still concede three, that’s the issue, isn’t it?”

Tiger Woods has yet to reveal when he plans to return to action following ankle surgery, but he will still be the centre of attention at the World Wide Technology Championship.

Woods has been on site at El Cardonal in Mexico ahead of this week’s PGA Tour event, the first to be staged on a course designed by the 15-time major winner.

And world number 66 Keith Mitchell is among the players keen to judge if Woods is as talented with a pencil and paper as he is with a golf club.

“We all know we can judge him on his golf, one of the best, if not the best ever, to play golf,” Mitchell said. “So we’re going to see if his golf course architecture can hold up as well.

“The back nine I played today, there’s a lot of options. I know Tiger likes options.

“It gives you a lot to think about going into greens, whether you want to use the slope or go straight at the hole, whether you want to play conservative and have an easy up and down or try to push it to the back of a green or to a tough flag and try to make birdie.

“A couple of par fives, the back of the greens are serious trouble.

“If you have a good number you can maybe hit it to the back flag and get a chance for eagle, but if not you’ve got to play conservative and try to get up and down from the front of the green, so it adds a lot of risk-reward.”

Maverick McNealy, who will contest his first event since June due to a shoulder injury, added: “My first impression is that it’s not very tight off the tee, it’s very wide, but if you miss it’s a severe penalty.

“You don’t need to murder the ball. Playing it 290 (yards) off the tee, 300 off the tee is going to be just fine. And then you really have to think about where you leave the ball into the greens. There’s one side that’s obviously not OK.

“You kind of see a lot of parallels between the way Tiger plays golf and the way he designed this golf course.

“You have to think about it, play smart. Quintessential second-shot golf course and no short-siding.”