Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has urged his side to “stick with the positive things” ahead of their Champions League clash against Copenhagen.

His comments came following Bayern’s second-half turnaround against RB Leipzig at the weekend, where they were suddenly 2-0 down from two goals within six minutes of each other in the first half.

England captain Harry Kane then sparked the comeback before Leroy Sane snatched a point to draw 2-2 and Tuchel is determined to take the positives forward into future fixtures.

“We analyse it all and are drawing our conclusions, which we’ll discuss with the teams,” he told a pre-match press conference.

“We’re trying to develop a better plan and fill it with more life. We’re still finding a way to get into games, which is the positive. We’ll stick with the positive things.”

Bayern’s next game takes place in the Champions League as they travel to Denmark to face Copenhagen, who earned a point against Galatasaray in their opening fixture.

Speaking ahead of the game, Joshua Kimmich echoed his manager’s sentiments, adding that Bayern need to retain concentration for the task ahead on Tuesday night.

“We weren’t in the game against Leipzig in the first half, invited the opponent with too many simple mistakes,” he told a press conference.

“That can’t happen tomorrow. We have to go about our business with concentration over 90 minutes, then I believe we’ll win the game.”

Munich got off to a winning start in the competition last month after an eventful clash against Manchester United, which ended 4-3 at the Allianz Arena.

Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kane and Mathys Tel were all on target for Bayern, who shot to the top of Group A after the first round of fixtures.

The Danish side took a 2-0 lead through Mohamed Elyounoussi and Diogo Goncalves against Galatasaray, but after Elias Jelert was sent off in the 73rd minute the Turkish Super Lig champions staged a comeback with two quick goals in the final 10 minutes.

Another tough test lies ahead for Bayern away to Copenhagen, who managed to draw all of their home games in the Champions League last season and Tuchel knows not to underestimate any side in the competition.

He said: “I’ve never seen an easy group stage, every game has its own character, Galatasaray scored two late goals. The focus is 100 per cent on Copenhagen.

“I’ve watched their games, we’ll prepare seriously. We first wanted to conclude the Leipzig game.

“We’ll limit it to two meetings, keep the info to a minimum. I have the greatest respect for every opponent in the Champions League, it’s the toughest club competition in the world.

“Copenhagen didn’t lose a home game in the Champions League last season against Manchester City, Dortmund and Sevilla. The drive to be the top team is big, but the facts are in our favour.

“(Jacob Neestrup) is a very young and successful coach, Copenhagen are the club winning all the titles in Denmark.

“He’s got a clear style. We’re expecting Copenhagen in a 4-3-3 formation, they’re very compact, very dangerous on the counter, and we’re expecting a mix of long balls and passing play.”

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi has warned his side must match Benfica’s high intensity when they go head-to-head again in the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri drew their opening Group D match with Real Sociedad, while Benfica lost at home to Red Bull Salzburg having played most of the match with 10 men.

Inter beat the Portuguese side at the quarter-final stage of last season’s Champions League as they went on to finish as runners-up to Manchester City.

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Inzaghi knows just what to expect when they face Roger Schmidt’s men again at San Siro on Tuesday night.

“It will be a tough match – we will be facing a team that play at a very high intensity and won the Portuguese Super Cup (in August),” Inzaghi said.

“They are a well-established team because they have had the same head coach for a while now.

“They lost their first Champions League match, but played the vast majority of the match with 10 men. Despite that, they had several chances and deserved a different result.”

Inzaghi told a press conference: “They possess more quality (this season), but their playing principles remain the same. We need to display intensity because Benfica are a great side.

“Benfica are coming into this game on the back of a victory over Porto, while we managed to win in Salerno.

“We are convinced we can produce a big performance. I am happy with how we’re progressing, and we promise to always give everything and win as many matches as possible.”

Inter’s veteran wing-back Juan Cuadrado, a summer signing from Juventus, has been recovering from tendinitis since early September, but could be back in contention for the European tie after being able to return to full training with the rest of the squad.

“I still have to make my assessments as far as who will play from the start,” Inzaghi said.

“We were without him after the first matches (of the season), and I am counting on him in the next matches.”

Midfielders Stefano Sensi and Davide Frattesi, though, are still not under consideration while forward Marko Arnautovic remains sidelined by a hamstring strain.

Schmidt feels Inter have carried on from where they left off last season.

“They are at the top of the (Italian) league and they play good football,” the Benfica coach told a press conference.

“They haven’t lost key players, they are used to each other and have the same coach, so it is a challenge to play against them. They are a complete team.

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“We are not afraid. We know it is difficult, but we believe in ourselves.

“We have experience in European games and what we try to do is show our best football, maintain our approach and fight for the three points, so that is the objective for tomorrow.”

Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva will be suspended having been sent off after just 13 minutes against Salzburg, while Brazilian defender Joao Victor has been left out of the travelling squad for disciplinary reasons.

England completed their World Cup preparation with a rain-affected victory against Bangladesh at Guwahati.

Joe Root and Mooen Ali guided England to a four-wicket win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method with a bludgeoning partnership of 79 in 10 overs.

After Saturday’s clash with India was washed out, England suffered further weather frustration as they geared up to get their World Cup defence under way against New Zealand on Thursday.

England were set a revised target of 197 in 37 overs after Bangladesh’s innings had been disrupted by a three-hour rain delay.

Dawid Malan nicked to slip with just four to his name, but England raced to 50 inside five overs as Jonny Bairstow struck 34 from 21 balls.

There was concern for England as Bairstow needed medical attention on his back while out in the middle, and the batter suffered more discomfort as Mustafizur Rahman soon dislodged his leg-stump bail.

Harry Brook was also castled for 17 but Jos Buttler maintained England’s impetus, smashing five fours and a six in a 15-ball 30.

Buttler’s blitzkrieg ended when he pulled Shoriful Islam to offer Towhid Hridoy a simple catch on the deep square boundary.

England were 114 for five after Liam Livingstone drove Taskin Ahmed to mid-off and Najmul Hossain Shanto managed to wrap his fingers under the ball diving forward.

At that point Bangladesh were sensing a surprise victory but Root, with precious runs following a recent run of sticky form, and Moeen were commanding.

Moeen hammered 56 from 39 balls before falling four runs short of victory, England eventually easing home in 24.1 overs and with 77 deliveries to spare.

Bangladesh made 188 for nine after rain reduced their innings to 37 overs.

Only Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74) and Tanzid Hasan (45) went past 20 as Buttler used nine bowlers and rotated his attack in hot and humid conditions.

Bangladesh won the toss but Buttler indicated he was content to field and give his bowlers a workout amid the prospect of rain.

Mark Wood was back in action for the first time since the Ashes and bowled with plenty of pace and accuracy.

Wood knocked out Tanzid’s middle stump, while Reece Topley took three for 23 from five and Adil Rashid and David Willey picked up two wickets apiece.

Owen Burrows was left to rue conditions at ParisLongchamp as Hukum was unable to build on his stellar 2023 when only ninth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The Shadwell-owned six-year-old headed to France at the peak of his powers following a thrilling Group One triumph in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in the summer, but an unfavourable draw in stall 14 combined with drying ground saw the son of Sea The Stars at a disadvantage.

Despite jockey Jim Crowley’s best efforts to get his mount in a handy position, Hukum was simply unable to pick up when asked in the unseasonable conditions as he faded through the field in the closing stages.

“Obviously the draw didn’t help but to be fair to Jim, he was able to get him in a good position and the ground was just too quick, pure and simple,” said Burrows.

“It was balmy weather and felt like we were there in July, but we had a bit of luck with the King George being run on good to soft, so we take it as it comes. We were unfortunate but that’s the way it goes.”

Having suffered an injury after his first Group One triumph in last year’s Coronation Cup, Burrows’ stable star returned from almost a year off the track better than ever this term.

He ended Derby winner Desert Crown’s unbeaten run in the Brigadier Gerard on his reappearance at Sandown and having skipped Royal Ascot on account of the ground, got his moment in the spotlight at the Berkshire track when outbattling Westover in the King George.

It was only Hukum’s third outing of the season in the Arc, but with the ground conditions oversees unlikely to be in his favour, an international campaign seems unlikely and Shadwell’s Sheikha Hissa is set to have the final call on his next move.

“It will be for Sheikha Hissa to decide, I’m sure we will catch up over the next few days and see what’s what,” added Burrows.

“All the international races will probably be run on the faster side, so we shall see, but there’s nothing jumping out at us.

“He’s only had the three runs but to come back and win the Brigadier Gerard and then to win a King George, you can’t be disappointed at all. He’s been a wonderful servant for me and he’s definitely justified being kept in training.”

Meanwhile, an encouragingly dry forecast is increasing the prospect of Hukum’s stablemate Alyanaabi taking his chance in the Dewhurst Stakes later this month.

The son of Too Darn Hot claimed the Tattersalls Stakes with a stylish late rattle and with his running style meaning minimal energy was exerted during his first taste of the Rowley Mile, a return to Newmarket for Group One action later this month could be on the cards.

Burrows said: “He didn’t really have much of a race, he only really raced the last furlong and he ate up the next morning and didn’t lose a kilo in weight, so he didn’t have a hard time. The initial signs are he’s come out of it well.

“I will have a chat with Sheikha Hissa. I think he likes the ground on the faster side of good and the forecast I’ve seen looks predominantly good so we’ll see.”

Roger Varian’s Eldar Eldarov is unlikely to run again this term as connections are minded to shelve Champions Day plans and instead wait for a return to action next year.

The four-year-old was last seen winning the Irish St Leger at the Curragh in early September, a three-and-a-half-length success over the returning Kyprios.

Prior to that he was fourth in the Goodwood Cup, seventh in the Gold Cup and second behind Giavellotto in the Yorkshire Cup.

After his Irish outing there were mentions of the Long Distance Cup on Qipco British Champions Day, but those plans have been put to one side and it is probable the colt will not run again this term.

“He’s finished for the season, we’re not planning to run him at Ascot,” said Chris Wall, racing manager to owners KHK Racing.

“You must never say never, of course, but that isn’t the plan at the moment.

“We think his trip is a mile and six (furlongs) and whilst he stays two miles, we think he’s a better horse at a mile and six – the problem with that is that there isn’t a huge programme at that distance.

“Having established that, we thought we’d put him away for next season and then plan a campaign around those sorts of races. He will probably have to run over two miles but I also wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a run over a mile and a half in suitable conditions.”

Liverpool have made a formal request to access the audio related to Saturday’s offside controversy at Tottenham, the PA news agency understands.

The club had a Luis Diaz goal ruled out in north London due to miscommunication between VAR Darren England and on-field referee Simon Hooper. The Premier League game was goalless at the time of the incident, with the Reds going on to lose 2-1.

PA understands the Reds have now formally requested the audio of the conversation between the two from referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.

Much of the focus since has been on precisely how the club would like the matter escalated and resolved, and their first step has been to seek access to precisely what England and Hooper said to each other which led to the mistake.

PGMOL issued a statement on Saturday night acknowledging a “significant error” had occurred. Hooper and his assistants had given offside against Diaz on the field, and the PA news agency understands that although England followed the correct procedure in drawing lines, he lost focus and mistakenly thought the initial on-field decision had been onside.

This resulted in him issuing a ‘check complete’ notice to Hooper, rather than advising of an intervention and the goal being awarded.

Once the officials realised an error had been made, play had restarted and VAR protocols state that once that has happened, there is no way back to revisit a decision.

England was replaced as a fourth official for the Nottingham Forest v Brentford match on Sunday while his assistant VAR at Tottenham, Dan Cook, has been replaced for Monday night’s match between Fulham and Chelsea.

Referee and VAR appointments for the coming weekend’s matches are due to be announced at 10am on Tuesday morning.

Courage Mon Ami is not certain to line up in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup after a minor setback ruled the Ascot Gold Cup winner out of the Prix du Cadran.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Frankel was bought by Wathnan Racing prior to Royal Ascot, providing the Qatari-based operation with their biggest success to date when storming to big-race glory in the hands of Frankie Dettori.

Having somewhat bounced back from a first defeat in the Goodwood Cup when an honourable second to Coltrane in York’s Lonsdale Cup, connections had their eye on finishing the season at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.

However, he missed his intended trip to France due to a minor setback and although holding an entry for the staying event on Ascot’s British Champions Day card, he will not be rushed for what would be a fitting return to the scene of his finest hour on October 21.

“He obviously missed France which was annoying because it was niggly, nothing major,” Said Richard Brown, racing advisor to the owners.

“We’re just going to take him along and see if we can make Ascot.

“He’s been the flag-bearer for Wathnan in their first season and is obviously a firm favourite, so he won’t be asked to do anything he doesn’t want to do.

“He will tell us if he’s ready to run or not and if he’s not, we’ll put him away and come back next year.

“He’s been amazing for us and we’re never going to risk him. We owe him a lot.”

Liverpool are seeking further information about the review into Saturday’s offside controversy at Tottenham before deciding on next steps.

The club had a Luis Diaz goal ruled out in north London due to a miscommunication between VAR Darren England and on-field referee Simon Hooper. The Premier League game was goalless at the time of the incident, with the Reds going on to lose 2-1.

Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.

Much of the focus since has been on precisely how the club would like the matter escalated and resolved, but PA understands at this stage the key word in the statement from a Liverpool perspective is “explore”.

They are seeking greater clarity and transparency over precisely what the review of the incident promised by referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) will entail.

The Reds acknowledge there is no playbook and no established procedure to deal with this set of circumstances, as there would be in the case of appealing against a red card for instance.

PGMOL issued a statement on Saturday night acknowledging a “significant error” had occurred. Hooper and his assistants had given offside against Diaz on the field, and the PA news agency understands that although England followed the correct procedure in drawing lines, he lost focus and mistakenly thought the initial onfield decision had been onside.

This resulted in him issuing a ‘check complete’ notice to Hooper, rather than advising of an intervention and the goal being awarded.

Once the officials realised an error had been made, play had restarted and VAR protocols state that once that has happened, there is no way back to revisit a decision.

England was replaced as a fourth official for the Nottingham Forest v Brentford match on Sunday while his assistant VAR at Tottenham, Dan Cook, has been replaced for Monday night’s match between Fulham and Chelsea.

Referee and VAR appointments for the coming weekend’s matches are due to be announced at 10am on Tuesday morning.

The controversy over the Diaz goal has led to calls for the conversation between England and Hooper to be broadcast.

PGMOL has not ruled out the possibility of the audio forming part of the next ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ programme, which is due to air next Monday.

England and Cook had been part of a team of officials who oversaw a fixture between Sharjah and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, arriving back in the UK on Friday morning.

Requests for English officials to take charge of domestic matches overseas are made to the Football Association, with permission for officials to travel granted jointly by the FA and PGMOL.

Just as players involved in Europa League matches on a Thursday do not return to domestic action until Sunday, so officials’ duties are balanced to take account of any overseas assignments in the week.

For instance, Michael Oliver, who refereed the match in the UAE last week, was a fourth official on Saturday but was back to refereeing at Forest on Sunday.

Nor was the UAE trip unusual. It was the fifth time in the last 10 months that officials have overseen domestic matches overseas, with Tom Bramall and Andy Madley leading teams to Japan in January and the early summer respectively, Oliver officiating a Saudi match in April and Craig Pawson going to Greece in May.

That is on top of English officials frequently being called upon for club and national team matches in international competitions.

Liverpool’s statement said the error that occurred had led to sporting integrity being undermined, but Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said on Monday he still had complete “trust” in referees.

“Well, I’m not so often giving comment on refereeing because they do what they have to do,” the Dutchman said.

“Of course, the standard has to be high and it’s a part of the game.

“Of course, you can expect, we can expect, teams can expect, the fans can all expect, that it has to be a high standard – so it should be because it’s Premier League.

“But I think and I’m sure they do what they can. They are very professional, so they will give their best and I trust them.”

Finn Russell has psyched himself for the likelihood that he will have to operate at the peak of his powers on Saturday night if Scotland are to get the result they need from their critical World Cup showdown with Ireland in Paris.

The talismanic stand-off carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders going into this weekend’s qualification shootout against the world’s top-ranked side.
Gregor Townsend’s Scots require either a bonus-point victory or to deny their opponents a losing bonus if they are to emerge from Pool B and reach the quarter-finals.

For that to happen, Russell – widely deemed to have entered his prime over the past year – knows he will have to make his mark in the French capital on Saturday as he bids to upstage his veteran Irish counterpart Johnny Sexton.

Asked if he feels he is currently in the best form of his career, the 31-year-old said: “I’m going to have to be this weekend!

“I don’t know. I think I had a good couple of years, then a year where I was a bit off after the Lions tour in 2021, but I think I’ve come back from that now.

“Gregor thinks I’m coming into my peak as a 10. I think this is a good age to be at where I’m still young enough but I’ve got a lot of experience behind me, so that bodes well for a 10.

“I think I’m playing some decent rugby just now and I just need to make sure I’m ready for what comes at the weekend.

“I’m against Johnny Sexton, one of the best 10s in the world as well, so it’s going to be tough.”

Less than a year ago, Russell’s place at the World Cup appeared in jeopardy when he was left out of the initial squad for the autumn internationals amid tension with Townsend, before being recalled midway through the series in November to hugely impressive effect.

The coach and talisman also had a well-documented fall-out in early 2020 but they appear to have finally found a genuine sense of harmony since Russell’s recall almost 11 months ago.

The player reported that their relationship remains in good order amid the intensity of a World Cup campaign.

“Yes, it’s been good,” he said. “I think that’s all behind us now, thankfully.

“That’s been 11 years I’ve worked with Gregor now so to have a couple of bumps in the road is not that bad.

“We’re both on the same page, as we have been all summer, and throughout the Six Nations.

“It’s just about making sure we continue on this journey we’re on and try to get the win at the weekend.”

As well as being the team’s outstanding talent, Russell is also now one of Townsend’s vice-captains.

The Bath-bound fly-half is relishing the responsibility of leading the Scots into one of their biggest games in years.

“I think for me to be able to manage the boys and try to keep us on track throughout the week and in the game is going to be really important,” he said.

“It’s easy to say it’s just another week but it’s not because it’s knockout rugby now for us.

“There will be a little bit more pressure but I’ve been in this situation before with Scotland where we’ve had knockout games and other big games.”

Scotland were described by former player John Jeffrey as having the strongest squad in their history when they arrived at the World Cup a month ago, although such hype was offset by a realisation that they were sharing a pool with Ireland and South Africa, who entered the tournament as the two highest-ranked sides in the world.

Russell knew it was always going to be a tall order to progress but he admits it would be galling to go out at the first hurdle at a time when the Scots are ranked fifth on the planet.

“What we’ve done as a team over the past 12 to 18 months, to get ourselves into this position, it would be so frustrating and disappointing if we don’t manage to get out of the group,” he said.

“There’s a lot on the line for both teams but the message I’ll be driving is not to think too much about the outcome.

“Just stick to the process, be ourselves, be confident, and play to our strengths and take our chances.

“It will be tough to beat Ireland by eight points. They obviously don’t concede any soft tries and they’re very disciplined.

“It will potentially be down to our defence to hold them out whilst also taking our chances.”

Options remain open for Simon and Ed Crisford’s Vandeek after his superb Middle Park success.

The Havana Grey colt maintained his flawless record at Newmarket on Saturday, securing an impressive two-and-a-quarter-length victory under James Doyle in the six-furlong Group One.

That triumph is stacked on top of a winning debut, a Group Two win in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and further Group One glory in the Prix Morny at Deauville, meaning he is unbeaten in four starts so far.

On his first three outings he had encountered soft ground, particularly at Goodwood, but at Newmarket the going was good to firm and in quick conditions he looked even more talented when hitting top gear to leave a smart field in his wake.

“He was very impressive on Saturday, he showed a really classy turn of foot to put the race to bed going into the dip,” said Chris Wall, racing manager to owners KHK Racing.

“Up to that point he’d only ever run on soft ground and it had to be seen if he could handle the quicker conditions as well, but actually I think he handled them better.

“It was a really classy performance and a credit to the Crisfords to have him teed up and ready to go on the day having not run since the middle of August.

“They hadn’t gone particularly quickly by halfway, visually they didn’t look to be going as strong a gallop as you might expect in a Group One race.

“The field then quickened in front of him and he’s just shot away from them, it goes to show the raw natural speed that he possesses.”

Vandeek clearly has ample ability and his performances are further aided by his rock steady temperament as he does little to burn through vital energy ahead of his races.

“He has the most remarkable temperament, most two-year-old sprinting colts would tend to be a bit buzzy and electric but he’s the very opposite of that,” Wall said.

“He walks around half asleep most of the time, Andrea Atzeni rode him in Deauville and he warned James Doyle about him. He said ‘the only thing you have to worry about is that you don’t let him fall asleep and fall on his head cantering to the start’.”

The colt holds an entry for the Dewhurst in mid-October and whilst firm plans have not been made, a return to the Rowley Mile is not ruled out for a late-season step up to seven furlongs.

“He has an engagement in the Dewhurst but I think nobody is going to commit to that until nearer the time when we can see how the horse is, what the opposition will be, all the usual things. We’re not ruling anything out at this stage.”

World number two Rory McIlroy admits he feels so much responsibility when it comes to the Ryder Cup he starts thinking about it a year out.

The Northern Irishman won four points from five matches – the best haul of his career in his seventh event – to spearhead Europe’s regaining of the trophy.

His appearance on the first tee for Sunday’s singles received the biggest cheer and he duly responded with a 3&1 victory over Sam Burns to put his team within touching distance of regaining the trophy.

“I know my place in the team and I know guys look to me. But I don’t take that responsibility lightly,” he said.

“It is something that I have to have a lot of respect for and I have to think about it carefully.

“I want to do all right things and set a good example for the guys coming into the team.”

Europe’s captain Luke Donald only assumed the position a year ago after Henrik Stenson’s defection to LIV Golf and subsequent resignation of his European Tour membership made him ineligible.

That was when McIlroy’s thoughts started turning to how to win at Marco Simone.

“It was probably when Luke got the captaincy and things were certain again, when we had certainty who the captain was and we knew who the six or seven players that were locked in (were),” he added.

“Maybe about a year ago I really started to think about it and think about how we and could go about getting the Ryder Cup back – which thankfully we did.

“We want to try to enjoy this for the next couple of years and then get ready for New York (at Bethpage) and try to do something that is very seldom done in golf (win the Ryder Cup overseas).”

McIlroy has won four majors – albeit none since 2014 – and three big-money FedEx Cups but admits the buzz he gets from being in a Ryder Cup team is something different.

“It’s amazing. We play an individual sport. Golf is a game where you seldom win – you win two or three times a year and it’s a great year – but we only get one opportunity at this every two years,” he said.

“To be surrounded by people who care about it as much as you do is very meaningful. The atmosphere we played in this week I don’t think can be replicated in any other golf event in the world.

“That means something; to be able to play under that pressure and atmosphere, win your point and do what you are supposed to do for your team, it means the world to me and I am sure it means the world to everyone else.

“These the best days of our lives. This is why we practise, it’s why we sacrifice the time, it is why we put all the hard work and hours in for us to have moments like this where you go out there and be yourself and try to let your talent shine through.

“I’m really proud of myself because coming off Whistling Straits (where he won just one point in a record 19-9 defeat two years ago) I don’t know if I ever felt so low, not just in a Ryder Cup but in my career in general.

“The fact the team had the confidence in me to send me out number one on that Sunday and get a point: you can trace my form back over the last couple of years to that last Sunday at Whistling Straits.

“These guys believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and to have a group around you that does believe in you, it means the world to me.”

Clive Cox is excited to see what the future holds for Ghostwriter following his taking success in Newmarket’s Royal Lodge Stakes.

Having impressed in his first two outings, the son of Invincible Spirit took the step up to both a mile and Group Two level in his stride to run out a convincing winner in the hands of Richard Kingscote when up against a useful cast on the Rowley Mile.

The victory puts the colt in the picture for next year’s Classics, with the youngster as short as 16-1 for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby and his handler has been delighted with his progress throughout his juvenile campaign.

“He showed improvement from his first run with how he ran under a penalty at Ascot and this was a bigger step up again,” said Cox.

“He acquitted himself very impressively and backed up our hopes and thoughts from what we had been seeing at home.”

Ghostwriter’s Royal Lodge success earns him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf if connections wish, while he also holds an entry for the Group One Futurity Trophy at Doncaster before the season ends.

Although refusing to completely rule out those options, Cox is minded to think to the future with his talented prospect and would have no qualms about now taking stock with the Jeff Smith-owned two-year-old and returning next spring with his 100 per cent record intact.

“I’m pleased to report he has come home well,” continued Cox.

“We’ll discuss it further with Jeff in the meantime. Most importantly we will follow the horse’s appearance and well-being over the next week or so and that would be the guiding light really.

“While I am happy with him, I think physically, he has a big frame to mature into even more and I would definitely be inclined to be thinking from a physical point of view he will be a better horse next year and I’m really excited about the future.”

On the prospect of heading to Santa Anita next month, he added: “I think at this stage of his life that would be a huge step and with his size and scope and being so exciting for the future, I would just be very proud of what he has achieved so far this year.

“The level of expectation is such an exciting thought going forwards that it is a bigger picture than tomorrow and it is more about thinking further down the line.”

While Ghostwriter’s career is only just beginning, Cox will bid farewell to the speedster Get Ahead following her fourth-placed finish in the Abbaye as she heads now heads to the paddocks.

An agonising second in the Flying Five Stakes on her previous start, she was somewhat unfortunate not to finish closer to ParisLongchamp winner Highfield Princess having been short of room at a vital stage.

“I guess that’s racing sometimes and they don’t run in lanes, but we’re extremely proud of what she has achieved throughout her career,” said Cox.

“I think to be second in the Flying Five and to back that up amongst some of the best sprinters in the world at Longchamp is quite rewarding and she will be heading to the paddocks now.

“I’m very proud to have been involved with her and, being related to a Guineas winner (her half-brother is Chaldean), she now has a great record on track to back up her pedigree.

“She’s a filly that will last long in our memories without a shadow of a doubt.”

Also heading for a career as a broodmare is Tregony, who was a star of the Racing League last term, but has taken her form to the next level of late and now bows out after a career-best effort to deny New London in the Listed Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes.

“She’s been impeccable and the courage she displayed on Friday was amazing,” added Cox.

“We had previously felt she had only just got the mile and a half really, but Saffie (Osborne, jockey) gave her such a wonderful ride and managed to settle her into a perfect rhythm through the race that she was able to display that courage and determination she has always had at a crucial stage.

“I’m just thrilled she has that winning Listed success to go with her previous black-type placed effort and she’s now bound for the paddocks and will surely be a very exciting broodmare.”