West Ham manager David Moyes hopes to be able to complete deals for both James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire – but stressed Manchester City’s bid for midfielder Lucas Paqueta was “not anywhere near” the club’s valuation.

Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse is having a medical ahead of his transfer to east London, while Maguire remains in discussions with United about the terms of his exit from Old Trafford.

West Ham are understood to have knocked back an initial £60million approach for Paqueta from the Premier League champions.

“We’ve had an offer from Manchester City, but at the moment it’s not anywhere near meeting our valuation,” said Moyes.

Despite initial frustrations in the summer window, the Irons have added Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez to the squad in a £35million deal from Ajax, with Ward-Prowse set to follow.

“James Ward-Prowse is having a medical just now. We’ve agreed a fee but it’s not right I speak about him as he’s not yet our player,” Moyes told a press conference.

United boss Erik ten Hag was giving little away when questioned on Maguire’s future, stressing the England defender would be available for Monday’s game against Wolves even though the club had accepted a bid from West Ham, understood to be around £30m.

On the situation regarding Maguire’s expected arrival, Moyes said: “We’ve had a bid accepted from Manchester United, but while he’s not our player I’m not in a position to discuss him really.”

After seeing former captain Declan Rice complete a new British transfer record move to Arsenal in a £105m deal, West Ham have been trying to reshape the squad for next season – when they will also compete in the Europa League – if not as quickly as Moyes would have liked.

“It’s not about us having £100million to spend, but the fees being charged by clubs for players,” the West Ham boss said.

“We sold Declan – I actually think Declan was quite cheap, to be honest – and there has nearly not been a player we have gone for under £40million. We have been very active, as you all know, trying to get players in.”

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West Ham have also seen Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic depart as Moyes looks to push the group on from last season’s success in winning the Europa Conference League.

“You need to look at the amount of players Chelsea bought – you need a number you can work with and a balance of players in each position, and all those things come into it when you try to sign them,” Moyes said.

“I just walked through the corridor and looked at all the pictures of us winning a European trophy and it was incredible what we did.

“We’re going into this season with a great deal of positivity. We have a great feeling and we want to keep it.”

West Ham open the new Premier League season at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Alvarez, though, will not be available as he continues fitness work since being away at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mexico.

“They have always done well and they have a new approach this season under Andoni Iraola,” Moyes said of this weekend’s opponents.

“It is always a hard game at Bournemouth, but we had a good win there last year and we hope we can get another one tomorrow.”

American Ally Ewing set a daunting clubhouse target on day two of the AIG Women’s Open thanks to a brilliant second round at Walton Heath.

Ewing, who held a one-shot lead following an opening 68 completed late on Thursday, was among the early starters on Friday and stormed clear of the field with a birdie on the third and four in a row from the sixth to be out in 30.

The 30-year-old from Mississippi also picked up further shots on the 11th and 16th before dropping her only shot of the day on the last to complete a superb 66.

“I just kept trying to stay in the now, stay in the present, which is one shot at a time for me and fortunately those shots yielded a lot of really good opportunities I was able to capitalise on,” Ewing said.

“That stretch of golf (on the front nine) was really, really good and just a really solid day overall.”

Asked what it would mean to win a maiden major title this weekend, Ewing added: “It would be huge. It’s something I’ve obviously circled as something I want to accomplish in my career.

“I’ve had possible chances to do that, I’ve been in the last group, so for me it’s just going to be (about) leaning on that a little bit as well as leaning on the confidence I have in my game right now.”

At 10 under par Ewing enjoyed a five-shot lead over compatriot Andrea Lee and Japan’s Minami Katsu, with South Korea’s Kim Hyo-Joo and Lilia Vu another stroke back on four under.

Vu won the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, in April but a tie for 35th in last week’s Scottish Open is her best finish in a strokeplay event since then.

“I feel like post-Chevron Championship I’ve been struggling a little bit and to finally, hopefully, be in contention by the end of today just feels really rewarding,” Vu said.

“I think every time I get in my own way, it’s when I’m too focused on winning.

“But if I just focus on playing my game then I’m in a good position to try and win instead of just getting really upset if I mess up on a hole, and I did that last week.

“I got upset when I was playing well, and then just couldn’t hold it together after because I thought it was just over. And I’m just trying to be in a better mindset this week.”

Erik ten Hag says the Premier League will miss Harry Kane but the Manchester United boss has no regrets about deciding to go for Rasmus Hojlund over the Bayern Munich-bound star.

Having wrapped up deals for midfielder Mason Mount and adventurous goalkeeper Andre Onana, the Old Trafford giants turned their attention to filling the glaring need for a striker.

Tottenham sharpshooter Kane has long been admired by United but the club instead plumped for potential by signing Atalanta talent Hojlund.

“First of all we have chosen a striker and we are really happy with our choice,” Ten Hag said of the Denmark international.

“(Kane) is a great striker. That’s clear, he’s really a goal maker and apart from that he has all the conditions and abilities that you want to see in a striker.

“It’s a miss for the Premier League, absolutely.”

Ten Hag says he will miss the challenge of facing Kane, who Bayern are understood to be forking out an initial £100million for with add-ons able to potentially take it up to £120m.

Quizzed on whether United were ever serious candidates to sign the England captain, he said: “I don’t think that I have to go into that discussion or to give an opinion about that.

“We are professional. The processes we do are really careful, we consider a lot of things.

“But finally we make decisions and we don’t take decisions overnight. There’s a strategy behind every decision and we are happy with the squad we have now.”

While Kane looks set to start a new chapter in Germany, everyone at United will be hoping their move for rough diamond Hojlund pays off.

The 20-year-old arrived for an initial £64m fee that could rise to £72m with add-ons, signing a five-year deal with the option of a further season.

But United fans will have to wait to get a first glimpse of their new frontman as Hojlund is dealing with a back issue that the club are confident is not a long-term issue.

“He had a small issue,” Ten Hag said. “He’s not on the levels where our players are in this moment, so now we have to train him.

“The prognosis is difficult always to say but we are confident and we are positive.”

New boy Hojlund will be sidelined for Monday’s Premier League opener against Wolves, with Amad Diallo, Tyrell Malacia and Kobbie Mainoo also out.

Anthony Martial did not play a minute in pre-season as he recovers from a hamstring injury, while back-up goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Dean Henderson remain absent for the curtain raiser.

Ten Hag is confident in the shape of his squad ahead of the new season and suggested Harry Maguire could be involved against Wolves despite United accepting a £30m bid from West Ham for their former captain.

“Of course (he is available),” the Dutchman said.

The frantic final few weeks of the transfer window are likely to dominate the start to a campaign that United get under way with some large clouds hanging over them.

A decision has yet to be made on suspended Mason Greenwood’s future and a group of United fans are planning to protest against the prospect of his return ahead of facing Wolves.

There is also a planned protest by the 1958 group against the Glazer family as the interminable potential takeover process rolls into the new campaign.

Asked about the fan protest and how frustrating it was for him that the ownership issue has not been resolved, Ten Hag said: “I’m sure that the fans will support the team.

“I think we construct that last season, the connection between fans and team.

“I think we only made it stronger in the pre-season, we’ve seen that in the tour but also now back in the UK I think there’s a really strong support and there’s a really good vibe around the team and between the fans and the team.”

Jodie Cunningham has marvelled at the significant strides women’s rugby league has taken as St Helens and Leeds continue their rivalry with a historic visit to Wembley.

The famous stadium stages the Women’s Challenge Cup final for the first time on Saturday, where Saints will be bidding for a third successive title and a second win in a row over Leeds in the showpiece.

Both Saints captain Cunningham and her Leeds counterpart Hanna Butcher started their careers in fields that had to be cleared of litter beforehand and where they were cheered on by only their nearest and dearest.

Professional status is yet to materialise – Cunningham juggles her playing duties with being the national women and girls’ development manager for the Rugby Football League while Butcher is a surveyor for Kirklees Council – but this weekend represents another important step for the women’s game.

Cunningham told the PA news agency: “Playing at Wembley Stadium just feels like this weird dream I never thought I’d actually get to experience. I don’t think it was even a pipe dream when I first started.

“To play a final in somewhere that had a stand was something that would have been a dream back then. To have a game where it wasn’t just your family members in the crowd cheering you on, that was a dream.

“Most people didn’t even know that women played. If it came up in conversation and you said you played rugby league, you’d get asked, ‘is it touch?’ They had no concept of what that could even look like.

“Now, to think there are genuinely fans of the game or people who are just aware of it is just a mega step for us. It’s only building our fanbase and I think Wembley will give us an even bigger platform.”

Cunningham, who was part of the Thatto Heath Crusaders side that won four consecutive Challenge Cups from 2013 to 2016, admitted getting more attention brings much greater pressure.

Saints beat Leeds in the 2021 semi-final and then prevailed in a seesaw final last year although the Rhinos gained a measure of revenge 11 months ago en route to Super League Grand Final glory.

Cunningham added: “The stuff that the men have managed to do, the history of this club for winning many, many trophies, there’s a level of expectation that you’re going to bring in trophies.

“That’s what the club wants, thrives off and expects. We expect that of ourselves as well and retaining the Challenge Cup was a big, big target we put on ourselves.

“The first trophy available, the opportunity to retain it, there’s always pressure once you’ve won a trophy to keep hold of it, we’re definitely putting that pressure on ourselves.

“We’re going to be holding on to that trophy really tightly to make sure we don’t give Leeds the opportunity to take it back.”

Butcher – part of the Leeds sides who won the Challenge Cup in 2018 and 2019, beating Castleford in the final on both occasions – is confident Leeds can end Saints’ stranglehold on the competition.

She told PA: “It’s going to be really, really special walking a team out at Wembley, I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group of people. We’re a really close-knit team.

“We’ve just had a weekend away, it’s united us even more. We spoke about why do we dedicate so much time and why do we juggle our work and family life. The answer is we just want to be with each other and we know we can do something special.”

Australia will make a late call on captain Sam Kerr’s fitness for their Women’s World Cup showdown with France.

Chelsea striker Kerr missed the group stage with a calf injury but came off the bench for the final 10 minutes in the round-of-16 victory over Denmark.

Australia boss Tony Gustavsson must now decide whether Kerr is fit to start Saturday’s quarter-final date with Les Bleues at Brisbane Stadium.

“If Sam is fit to play 90 minutes, she is starting,” Gustavsson said at his pre-match press conference.

“That’s not even a question, and the team knows it.

“I definitely would never, ever see Sam as a disturbance to the team. We’re talking about Sam Kerr.

“Whether she is ready to play 90 minutes plus extra time, that’s to be decided tonight.”

Australia have coped well without all-time top scorer Kerr, scoring six goals in their past two matches – following up a 4-0 win over Canada in their final group game with a 2-0 success against Denmark.

It has been an impressive response to the shock 3-2 defeat by Nigeria that threatened their participation in the knockout stages of a home tournament.

“I look at all the preparation we’ve done over the last few weeks but being ready doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,” said former United States assistant coach Gustavsson.

“I had the privilege to be in five quarter-finals before this one in three Olympics and two World Cups and you get unhealthily addicted to these types of games.

“This is what you love, this is what you want. I am so happy that the players will get this experience and we will embrace every second of it.”

France, ranked fifth in the world and five places above Australia, have scored 12 goals in three games since opening with a goalless draw against Jamaica.

Brazil (2-1) and Panama (6-3) were beaten in the group stage before Morocco were brushed aside 4-0 in the last 16.

Gustavsson said: “They have proved over this tournament that they have extreme attacking threats: central, left and right.

“They attack with numbers and are brave, technical and fast.

“The one thing they have instilled in this tournament is the work ethic when they lose the ball.

“They are extremely aggressive when they lose the ball, so you get very little time when you win it.

“That’s probably the extra they have over us and that’s going to be the number one challenge to sort.

“But what we have proven is that our defensive structure and defensive work rate has been enormous – we have kept five clean sheets in our last six games – and we have also been very composed in front of goal.

“Once we do break that pressure we know how fast we can attack and one moment can decide the game.”

Luke Morris makes his first appearance in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup as he heads up the home team at Ascot on Saturday.

The 34-year-old – who took his career to new heights last year, winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista – has never before taken part in the team event, which was first run in 1999 and now includes four teams competing for points over six races.

The Great Britain and Ireland squad is made up of Morris, Tom Marquand and Declan McDonogh, and the trio will aim to defeat a European team, a Ladies team and a team representing the Rest of the World.

Morris said: “When I was asked to participate, I was hugely grateful. It looks a great, fun day with a real buzz about the place.

“The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is something that I have grown up watching.

“The prize-money is great and it is real competitive racing.”

Morris has some well-fancied mounts at the weekend, including Clive Cox’s Tis Marvellous in the Dash and Stuart Williams’ Quinault in the sprint race – the latter a horse who has won his previous six races.

“From a participant’s perspective, everyone is really behind the Shergar Cup,” said Morris, who is favourite to win the Silver Saddle award for top rider, ahead of Rest of the World captain Frankie Dettori and Saffie Osborne.

“I know lots of jockeys would like to ride in it, plus lots of owners and trainers like running horses here,”

“To be honest, there is not much to dislike. I think it is a great initiative and the fact it is still going strong after so many years proves that it does work.

“I know my teammates Declan and Tom very well. Tom is flying at the moment and Declan is a former Irish champion.

“Throughout all the teams, there is real talent on show and hopefully it will be a great day.

“Riding winners at the highest level is always the aim. I am fiercely competitive and enjoy winning. I want to ride as many winners as I can each year, in the hope that it unlocks the door to ride nice horses.”

Lingering pain from lost decades will make it all the sweeter for Hull KR and Leigh Leopards when they converge on Wembley on Saturday for one of the most unlikely Betfred Challenge Cup finals in recent memory.

Forty-three years have passed since Rovers beat their city rivals Hull FC to claim their solitary crown and the intervening years have seen relegation heartbreak and three further final appearances – most recently a 50-0 humiliation by Leeds in 2015 – they would rather forget.

Leigh’s long wait for a trip to Wembley ticked over half a century two years ago, and their return sustains an astounding revival for a club who changed their spots last summer, shortly after providing the appetiser for last year’s showpiece when, as the Centurions, they sunk Featherstone to win the 1985 Cup final for second and third-tier sides.

Bank-rolled by leopardskin-clad local businessman Derek Beaumont and welded by a brilliant spine including Edwin Ipape and Lachlan Lam, Leigh have made a mockery of pre-season expectations of struggle by catapulting into the thick of the Super League play-off picture, and the cusp of adding a third Cup win to previous successes in 1921 and 1971.

“The town’s not had much to cheer about in the Challenge Cup and that’s why it’s an incredible story that we’re there,” said Leigh head coach Adrian Lam, the instigator of his side’s stunning campaign, who played for Wigan in their 2004 final loss to St Helens at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

“It’s always important to acknowledge the past successes and we’ve only won it twice. But we’re not there just to make up the numbers.

“There is a real opportunity to have an 80-minute performance and to give the town something else to cheer about.”

Rovers’ recent revival has been considerably more under-stated but under head coach Willie Peters they appear to have re-discovered an identity that harks back to their halcyon days of the mid-1980s – when they won two successive league titles – and promises much for their future prospects.

That fervent desire to re-emerge as one of the sport’s acknowledged powerhouses perhaps made their 2015 final thrashing even harder to bear, and ironically Rovers’ path towards Wembley redemption has involved two of the architects of their demise at the hands of the Rhinos.

Rovers favourite Ryan Hall, who has won his fitness battle ahead of the final, played on the wing for Leeds that day while Danny McGuire, who will stand alongside Peters at Wembley as Rovers’ assistant coach, crossed for the second of the Rhinos’ nine tries.

McGuire is adamant that Rovers have learned the tough lessons from that 2015 loss, pointing out the relatively muted celebrations that accompanied their uproarious golden point semi-final win over Wigan at Headingley last month that sealed their return trip to London.

“Arguably in 2015 Rovers were still living off the emotions of their semi-final win against Warrington ,” McGuire told the PA news agency. “I’ve had instances like that where you celebrate a semi-final win a bit too much, and it’s only through experience that you learn to handle those situations.

“That’s what happened in the dressing room after Wigan. The players know the magnitude of what they could achieve.

“The 1980 final is still revered in Hull and it is a constant reminder of all the great players who achieved things for this club and how they’re still held in high regard.

“It’s important that you learn how to handle your chance to make history. Willie has brought a real passion and no-nonsense approach and there’s a real feeling we’ve come out of the other side.

“It’s time for someone else to write a new chapter and this is their chance.”

If any further incentive was required, Rovers are determined to give 35-year-old captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall a rousing send-off in his last season for the club, with Peters also set to revert Mikey Lewis to full-back in light of the positive news about Hall, who limped out of the warm-up prior to their semi-final win with a calf strain.

For their own part a much-settled Leigh side with a ramming front row led by captain John Asiata will start as narrow favourites, which McGuire acknowledges is testament to the incredible progress made by a club that seemed for so long to remain one of the sport’s bit-part players.

“I’m really please with what Leigh have achieved,” said McGuire, who was joined by current Leigh pair Zak Hardaker and Tom Briscoe in the Rhinos’ 2015 line-up.

“They’ve been great to watch this season and their confidence will be sky-high. Like us they have overcome big odds to reach this final and one of us is going to make history.”

England want to develop their scrum into a “ruthless” weapon in time for the World Cup as Wales provide another important test of its progress at Twickenham on Saturday.

A major improvement in the scrum was evident during the Six Nations, when it emerged as the most effective in the tournament just months after being statistically the worst among tier one sides.

It wobbled in the opening Summer Nations match in Cardiff, however, and England are looking to bounce back in the second instalment of the double header.

Adding to the stakes for Saturday’s showdown between the old rivals is that should England fall to a defeat of any description, they will slump to ninth in the global rankings – their lowest position since the standings were introduced in 2003.

“We want to have a ruthless scrum. England want to scrummage,” scrum coach Tom Harrison said.

“Joe Marler and Dan Cole are in the squad and those two players want to scrummage.

“What we’re working on is if it doesn’t go right or there is a problem, how can we solve it quickly?

“How can we be so ruthless that if a team tries to do something against us, we can solve the problem?

“Against Wales I thought there were some good bits with our scrum and some bits to improve.

“I hope you’ll see a pack that’s going to work and one that will show physicality.

“Everything we’re doing is building towards the World Cup and we want to have a good performance against Wales.”

England are fielding a team that is close to their strongest XV as preparations for their opener against Argentina on September 9 ratchet up.

Owen Farrell leads the side and is joined by fellow big guns Maro Itoje, Jamie George and Billy Vunipola, with Elliot Daly and Henry Arundell adding finishing ability on the wings.

Jamie Ritchie has declared himself fit and ready to lead Scotland into the Rugby World Cup after shaking off his recent calf issue.

The captain sat out the previous two warm-up matches at home to Italy and France as a precaution after what he described as “a little niggle” but he returns to the starting XV for this Saturday night’s rematch with Les Bleus in the heat of Saint-Etienne.

Ritchie is raring to go ahead of his first outing since playing for Edinburgh in a United Rugby Championship match away to Ulster almost four months ago.

“I feel like I’ve had a good pre-season and I’m feeling good, really excited to get back playing,” he said at the captain’s run press conference at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Friday.

“I’ve been sad to miss out the last couple of weeks because I was looking forward to getting a run out at Murrayfield but I have had to wait until this week so I’m really excited to get going.”

Ritchie insists there was never any fear that the injury would cause him any major problems ahead of the World Cup, which gets under way in France in four weeks’ time.

“No, not really,” he said when asked if he was worried about being fit in time. “It was just a little niggle I picked up in the week of the Italy match.

“It was probably touch and go for the home game against France, we were just erring on the side of caution. I was always going to be good to go for this week.”

Head coach Gregor Townsend said on Thursday that Ritchie is “probably in the best shape I’ve seen him in the last few years”.

“That’s kind of him,” smiled the captain when asked if he agreed with Townsend. “I need to ask my wife! Yeah, I feel good. It’s been good to have an extended pre-season.

“I got more or less a full pre-season in last year post-injury but the start of that was probably inhibited by the fact I’d been out for eight months (with a serious hamstring injury sustained against England in February 2022) so this is the first full pre-season I’ve had off the back of a full season of playing.

“I’m feeling in good shape and looking forward to getting going.”

Scotland spent the early part of this week at their World Cup training base near Nice before flying up to Saint-Etienne, where they found temperatures in the high 20s as they went through their team run on Friday.

Although Saturday’s match kicks off at 9pm, balmy conditions are expected. Ritchie feels the heat his team have been exposed to this week – and on their previous trip to the south of France in June – will stand them in good stead for the demands of the tournament itself.

“Massively, it means we’re adapted to what it’s going to be like out here, particularly on the training side of things (when they’ll be in the south of France).

“We’re playing in different parts of the country and the game tomorrow is in the evening so it might not be in the direct sunlight. Hopefully we’ll be a bit more acclimatised to the heat but not feeling that direct sunlight.

“We’re in a great place, our training sessions have been consistent, they’ve started well and they’ve finished well. There’s not been a session where we’ve dropped off, even in the heat, which is testament to the guys’ fitness and how hard we’ve worked.”

Ritchie feels Scotland’s fitness was highlighted by their stirring second-half fightback against the French last weekend when they scored 22 unanswered points to win 25-21 after trailing 21-3 at the break.

The 26-year-old flanker is hoping they can build on that performance and pull off another victory even though Les Bleus have selected arguably their strongest XV for this weekend after fielding a predominantly second-string team in Edinburgh.

“We take loads of confidence from last week in that we didn’t necessarily start that well but we fought to come back and have a really great finish,” said Ritchie.

“Our fitness showed in that game, we really started to peak towards the end and played some of our best stuff.

“We also felt we were the better team in the Six Nations (when losing 32-21 in Paris in February) and we’ll be looking to show it tomorrow.”

Michael Dods says the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes is the “obvious race” for Azure Blue and it is “all systems go” for a York showdown with reigning champion Highfield Princess.

The four-year-old started her season by winning Newmarket’s Ellen Chaloner Stakes before heading to the Knavesmire where her match-fitness enabled her to account for John Quinn’s stable star in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes.

She was too keen in the early stages when a below-par sixth in the July Cup next time, but Darlington-based Dods is keen to head back to the Knavesmire for what is sure to be a hot contest and a rematch with what he is expecting to be a much better version of Highfield Princess.

“At the moment we’re thinking of going to York and the Nunthorpe,” said Dods.

“We’re pulling her back a furlong and it will be very competitive if the two-year-olds come in and also Highfield Princess was so impressive at Goodwood.

“We had had a run and Highfield had not when we met before and she’s obviously come on a lot from then.

“But it is the obvious race and at the moment the plan is to go there.”

Mecca’s Angel famously went back-to-back for Dods in 2015 and 2016, while the handler has also seen Mabs Cross rattle the crossbar in the five-furlong dash in 2018 and another of his mares, Que Amoro, pick up a silver medal behind Battaash in 2020.

However, Azure Blue will be running over the minimum five furlongs for the first time in her 15-race career when she bids to add her name to the roll of honour.

“We’re travelling into the unknown,” added Dods.

“They will go a hard gallop and hopefully she will be fine. We’re into the unknown a bit, but it’s worth a try.

“We’re looking forward to it and at the minute it is all systems go.”

Any rain at the Curragh would be welcomed by Ken Condon, as he prepares to saddle Moss Tucker in the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint Stakes.

The Excelebration gelding has not been disgraced since downing Tenebrism at Cork at the beginning of the year and was last seen finishing third to Art Power at the track in the Sapphire Stakes last month.

A Listed winner over course and distance in testing ground last October, the five-year-old thrives when the mud flies and his handler is eager to see a drop of rain at the Kildare track to add some further ease to the ground ahead of the Group Three contest.

“He ran very well last time and although he was no match for Art Power, in the main he is very consistent and he’s been in very good form since,” said Condon.

“The forecast is unsettled and any more rain will be most welcome for him, he’s obviously at his best when it’s testing conditions. At the moment it is nice ground, but any rain will be welcome.

“I think he’s probably at his best over five furlongs on soft ground, but it is a case if he doesn’t go there, then he’s probably sat on the sidelines for a little while.

“With this unusual weather at the moment, we might be able to take advantage of it, but it is hard to know how much rain the Curragh will get. It is forecast and hopefully a bit will fall.

“It’s a nice Group Three contest and we’re hopeful of a good run.”

Adrian McGuinness’ Go Athletico was just ahead of Moss Tucker when chasing home Art Power for a silver medal in the Sapphire Stakes and is another looking to make his mark in the six-furlong contest.

Bought by owners Team Valor International and Shamrock Thoroughbreds for €165,000 in the spring, he has made a good impression since joining McGuinness and the handler is expecting a bold bid.

“We’re looking forward to a big run,” said McGuinness.

“We were very happy with him the last day and he ran into a good horse. He actually had quite an easy race because Colin (Keane, jockey) was easy on him when the other horse had gone and we were well beaten.

“I’m expecting a very big run from him and he did a lovely piece of work the other day. Ronan Whelan rides him and I think he’ll run a huge race – I’ll be disappointed if he’s beat.

“I know sprints can go either way and it can depend on split-second decisions, but he is a very exciting horse to have and I definitely do think he is going to improve a bit more.”

The sole UK raider in the contest is Michael Dods’ Commanche Falls, who was a Listed winner over the track and trip on his penultimate start before following up in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The six-year-old has only once finished outside the first three this term and the Darlington-based handler is confident his speedster is in good order ahead of his hat-trick bid.

Dods said: “Drying ground would be a help but he’s in good form, he’s won there. It’s going to be competitive but we’re hoping for a good run.

“He hated the ground at Newbury last time but still did well and it’s hard for these sort of horses because there are not a lot of races around. It was either back to Ireland or we don’t go anywhere.

“We’re under no illusions and it will be a decent race, but we hope he will run his race and run well.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell hopes to introduce on-loan Arsenal striker Mika Biereth for a potential debut in Sunday’s cinch Premiership encounter with Hibernian.

With Jon Obika still doubtful with a hamstring issue, Theo Bair produced a goalscoring debut in last weekend’s draw with Dundee and Denmark Under-21 international Biereth could come into contention for Motherwell’s first home game of the league season.

Kettlewell said: “He has trained the tail end of last week, he got two sessions in, and he has trained this week as well.

“He missed a couple of weeks at Arsenal so it’s just a case of us trying to get as much content into him as we can, work away with him over the next couple of days.

“But I am fairly certain that he pushes himself into the reckoning of at least being involved in the squad.”

Amid a shortage of experienced attacking options, Joe Efford replaced Bair in the 88th minute at Dens Park for his first appearance since suffering a thigh tear in October last year.

Efford has played most of his football in Scotland as a wide player and it appears he has some work to do to convince Kettlewell he can fit into his 3-5-2 system.

“The most important part is that Joe needs to stay fit and show us his qualities,” Kettlewell said. “It’s been a hard time for him, a long-term injury and then from that there’s been a lot of stop-start moments.

“There has been a lot of inconsistency, I am sure Joe will hold his hand up to that as well, in reserve games, games to get back to full fitness, pre-season and even in training sessions.

“I am always a great believer that we can’t just go from zero to full throttle, there has to be a period of time where an individual shows you that they can be trusted and that they are offering something on the pitch, they are showing you quality and that they can play in your system.

“He gets his opportunity to come on at Dens Park and that was specifically we were lacking striker options.”

Kettlewell is still looking to move players on in order to bring some in and the process of trimming his squad means the club will no longer compete in the SPFL Reserve League.

“We had more than 50 players at the club last season,” Kettlewell said.

“I feel that everyone who is at the football club must have a realistic opportunity to play in your first team.

“For us to run with another 15-16 players that aren’t pushing to be in your first team, it’s not sustainable for a club like Motherwell.

“We have had to trim that and our focus comes on the under-18s group and the loan system.

“We have four or five with potentially more going out on loan. I have asked a member of staff to focus on that and make sure we are finding the correct loans for players so when they come back it gives them a real chance to play in our first team.

“A lot of the under-18s have been part of our first-team group over pre-season and you see the obvious ones on the bench and in the starting 11.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards will fulfil a dream when he sends his team into Premier League action for the first time at Brighton on Saturday.

Edwards took charge at Kenilworth Road in November last year and guided a club which less than a decade earlier had been plying its trade in non-league football back into the top flight after a 31-year absence.

Life since victory in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final has been something of a whirlwind, with the Hatters busily preparing for their latest – and perhaps biggest – challenge on and off the pitch, but Edwards admits he will feel a huge sense of pride when the dream finally becomes a reality.

He told a press conference: “I’m really proud. It’s hard because you don’t always think about it, you just think about what’s next and don’t always have time to reflect.

“It’s been an aim of mine for long time. I think most people would agree the Premier League is the highest level.”

The game at the Amex Stadium could see skipper Tom Lockyer make his first competitive appearance since collapsing on the pitch early in the play-off final, the result of a heart scare which has since been addressed by surgery.

Edwards added: “This is extremely important and special for Tom. That day was made special by knowing he was OK.

“It was the most scared I’ve ever been during a football game. Health is the most important thing and it’s great to have him back.

“He’s had his own journey as well – he was in the National League and now leading his team out in the Premier League.”

Edwards’ hand has been strengthened since promotion by the arrival of nine summer signings, perhaps the most eye-catching of them former Everton and England midfielder Ross Barkley, and there could be several debuts, particularly with Jordan Clark, Dan Potts, Gabe Osho and Reece Burke all on the casualty list.

Excitement levels are understandably high, but Edwards knows there is a long and tough season ahead.

He said: “We’ve got a big season ahead and it’s been a long time coming since the final kick at Wembley. The elation turns quite real and now we feel ready.

“The fans are the most important people at any football club. They are the most important to me, they’re here before us and they’ll be here after us.

“They’ve been through some really bleak times in the past, so hopefully they can enjoy these moments because they deserve it.”