Alan King is preparing Trueshan for an autumn campaign after missing Royal Ascot for the third year in succession, with an eventual switch to hurdling still being “seriously considered”.

While victories in the Goodwood Cup, the Prix du Cadran and two wins in the Long Distance Cup have cemented Trueshan’s status as a top-class stayer, aspirations to bid for Gold Cup glory at the Royal meeting have now been scuppered by unsuitable conditions in each of the past three seasons.

King has resisted the temptation to enter his stable star for this year’s Goodwood Cup on August 1, instead electing to give him a mid-season break before sending him back to France in October.

“He’s fine and he’s going to have a break now, I didn’t even enter him for the Goodwood Cup. We’re just going to give him a little break for a few weeks and then train him for the autumn,” said the Barbury Castle handler.

“We’ll probably train him for the Cadran again and then possibly Ascot on Champions Day or the Prix Royal-Oak, depending on how he is.

“If you keep on going all summer you’re praying for rain and I’d rather just give him the time now.

“No doubt Goodwood will probably come up soft to heavy and I’ll be kicking myself, but that’s the decision we made.”

Trueshan has been a beaten favourite in each of his two starts so far this season, since when he has undergone wind surgery.

It was in the immediate aftermath of his most recent defeat in Ascot’s Sagaro Stakes that King raised the intriguing possibility of sending him over obstacles at some stage, and it remains on the cards.

King said: “We’ll see how we get on come the autumn, but it will certainly be seriously considered.

“Giving him the break now helps in that regard too because otherwise you keep going all summer and all winter, which is difficult.”

Despite Trueshan’s absence King still saddled three runners at Royal Ascot, with both Tritonic and HMS President picking up minor honours.

Tritonic finished a creditable third in the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes, while HMS President was beaten just a neck into second place by Okita Soushi in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.

Outlining future plans for the duo, King added: “Tritonic will go to Goodwood for the two-and-a-half-mile race, I think it’s on the Friday, and there’s a possibility HMS President will go to Newmarket next week over a mile and six (furlongs).

“After that hopefully he might go for the Ebor. He’s rated 101 now and that rating has got in for the last two or three years, I think. It’s going to be tight, but hopefully he might get in.”

Stephen Robinson is excited about the “raw pace” he has added to the St Mirren attack after entering the Israeli market once more to sign Stav Nahmani on a season-long loan from Maccabi Haifa.

The 20-year-old forward has made 62 appearances in the top division in his homeland, the majority of which came in three loan spells with Hapoel Nof HaGalil, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Hadera over the past two seasons. He has been capped five times by Israel at Under-21 level.

Nahmani, who has managed only 13 appearances for his parent club since making his debut aged 18 in May 2020, has now taken the opportunity to move to Scotland on another temporary deal. St Mirren have an option to turn it into a permanent arrangement.

The cinch Premiership club signed Australian defender Ryan Strain from Maccabi Haifa a year ago and Robinson is hopeful that his latest recruit from the Israeli club will have a similarly positive impact.

“Stav came to us through the same contacts that we got Ryan Strain from Maccabi Haifa,” the manager told the St Mirren website.

“He’s a young player that’s come through the Israeli age groups.

“He’s got a great work ethic and he gives us real raw pace running in behind.

“We hope he can add goals to our team and pace in the forward areas. He’s a real exciting one that can play in a couple of areas across the forward areas.”

Nahmani becomes the second new signing by St Mirren in consecutive days after they announced the arrival of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Zach Hemming on a season-long loan on Wednesday.

Frankie Dettori will miss the ride on Emily Upjohn in the Coral-Eclipse after failing in his appeal against the nine-day careless riding ban imposed for his ride on Saga at Royal Ascot.

Dettori attempted to switch right-handed towards the rail in the early stages of the Wolferton Stakes and in doing so caused James McDonald to quickly snatch up Cadillac. Certain Lad and Notre Belle Bete, who were behind Cadillac, were also hampered in the scrimmaging.

Owned by the King and Queen and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Saga eventually finished fifth in the 10-furlong Listed event, which was won by Royal Champion.

An independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday considered evidence from all relevant parties, including Dettori, and elected to uphold the careless riding offence originally decided upon by stewards on the first day of Royal Ascot.

The panel then retired to deliberate over submissions from Dettori’s legal representative seeking a reduction in the penalty, but ultimately decided that nine days was appropriate and made no amendment to the sanction.

Frankie Dettori is still deemed to have ridden carelessly after his appeal against the nine-day ban imposed for his ride on Saga at Royal Ascot.

Dettori attempted to switch right-handed towards the rail in the early stages of the Wolferton Stakes and in doing so caused James McDonald to quickly snatch up Cadillac. Certain Lad and Notre Belle Bete, who were behind Cadillac, were also hampered in the scrimmaging.

Owned by the King and Queen and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Saga eventually finished fifth in the 10-furlong Listed event, which was won by Royal Champion.

An independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday considered evidence from all relevant parties, including Dettori, and elected to uphold the careless riding offence originally decided upon by stewards on the first day of Royal Ascot.

The panel then retired to deliberate over submissions from Dettori’s legal representative seeking a reduction in the penalty.

England rallied with the ball on the second morning of the second Ashes Test, bowling out Australia for 416 to stay alive at Lord’s.

The home side’s day one efforts drew stinging criticism from a host of notable players, with Kevin Pietersen branding them “absolutely shambolic” and Michael Vaughan labelling some of their bowling “utter dross”.

But they bounced back impressively to take five wickets for 77 runs in the opening session and deny their rivals the mammoth total they had looked on course for at 316 for three midway through the previous evening.

Steve Smith converted his overnight 85 into a knock of 110, his 12th Ashes century and an eighth behind enemy lines, but he could not halt a much improved English effort.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett then safely negotiated four overs before lunch to reach 13 for nought and begin the job of chipping away at the scoreboard.

In need of a big response, England tossed the ball to their two oldest stagers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The pair sent down 33 wicketless overs between them on Wednesday but made good on their captain’s show of faith as they made early inroads.

Broad’s first two balls of the morning disappeared for four but he ended the over with a beauty, jagging back into Alex Carey and flicking the front pad on its way over middle stump. England need DRS to change umpire Ahsan Raza’s mind, but the end result was exactly what they needed.

Anderson picked up the baton at the Nursery End, angling the ball towards the cordon and drawing a thick edge from the newly arrived Mitchell Starc. Jonny Bairstow, 24 hours on from his starring role as a bouncer in the Just Stop Oil protest, leapt in front of first slip and held the catch.

Smith was watching calmly from the other end, making his way to 99 before lashing a cover drive to the ropes to bring up his latest Ashes ton. It was an excellently judged innings, but England had the bit between their teeth now and wrapped things up with admirable efficiency.

Josh Tongue, who dismissed Smith for Worcestershire earlier in the season, had the centurion well caught in the gully by Duckett as he swung hard and lost his balance. Ollie Robinson then swept up Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood in successive overs.

Starc and Pat Cummins had two overs each to land a blow in return, but England’s top order pair reached the break without offering a chance.

Ross County have completed the permanent signing of Eamonn Brophy from St Mirren for an undisclosed six-figure transfer fee.

The 27-year-old striker spent the second half of last season on loan at the Staggies and scored three goals in eight appearances before having his campaign prematurely ended by injury in April.

County have now moved to bring Brophy back to the Highlands.

“We are delighted to welcome Eamonn back to the club,” said manager Malky Mackay.

“His impact during his spell last season was significant and he became a popular member of the squad. His experience in the Scottish game is clear to see and he is another great attacking option added to the squad.”

Brophy joined St Mirren from Kilmarnock in January 2021 – initially on loan – and he went on to make 58 appearances for the Buddies, scoring eight goals.

Sir Busker is on the mend with a York return pencilled in after his right eye was saved by veterinary staff at the Dubai Equine Hospital.

The highly-popular gelding is trained by William Knight and owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds and gave connections a day to remember when winning the Group Two York Stakes last season.

He was then a gallant third at 100-1 in the Juddmonte International, before starting out with a second-placed run in the Tandridge Stakes early this year and then flying out to the Middle East.

Ninth in the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh and 10th in the Dubai Turf at Meydan, the bay then suffered from an eye injury that required him to stay put in Dubai and undergo an operation.

The procedure – which took flesh from his haunches and grafted it onto his eye – was a success and prevented the eye from being removed and from his vision being completely lost on the right side.

Sir Busker has since returned home and has been eased back into work by Knight, who is hopeful he can be back for the Ebor meeting on the Knavesmire in August.

“We’ve just had to take it steady with him, but I would love to try and have him back for the York August meeting – maybe something like the Strensall Stakes,” he said.

“That’s what I’m thinking about, we’re not going to rush him to get there but we hope he gets there in his own time.

“It’s been a long road back but we’ve managed to save the eye and he’s got vision in there, it’s nice to have him back and have him in work.”

Knight feels a return to the routine of training has done Sir Busker the world of good, and by the time he takes to the track again his wounded eye should bear very few signs of the operation.

“He was quiet for a good period of time when he got back, not his usual self, but he’s just started to perk up in the past couple of weeks,” he said.

“By getting him back into work we’ve got the whole system moving again and that’s what has done him good, rather than just going on the walker and being led out, when that happens they start to lose a lot of condition. Now he’s back in work and I think he’s done very well for it.”

Of the healing process of the eye, he added: “It’s a bit pink but by the time it gets to racing I would hope it will have gone, aesthetically it doesn’t look great but actually it is offering the eye protection in a way.

“It’s quite bizarre, the whole thing, but it is an amazing procedure.

“The first thing was saving his eye and then making sure he’s still got vision in it, which he definitely has though the percentage is hard to gauge until the skin graft properly disappears.

“Then we can get a proper look, but if you wave your hand on that side he blinks, so there’s definitely some vision there.”

Josh Ginnelly admitted it was “one of the toughest decisions” he has ever had to make after ending his three-year stint at Hearts.

The 26-year-old Englishman joined the Tynecastle club initially on loan from Preston in 2020 and then made the move permanent a year later.

After finishing as Hearts’ second-top scorer last season, however, he has decided, following several weeks of deliberation since the campaign ended, that he will not be renewing his contract.

Hearts said in a statement on Thursday morning: “We can confirm that Josh Ginnelly will not be returning to the club.

“His contract expired last month and despite the club making the best possible offers to retain his services, he has decided his future lies elsewhere. We wish him all the best with his next move.”

Ginnelly made 89 appearances for Hearts and scored 22 goals, 13 of which came in his final season. The forward, who has other options on the table, posted a farewell message on Instagram after his departure was confirmed.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make but after taking time to reflect I’ve decided it’s time for a different challenge,” he said.

“I’m so proud to have played for this amazing club and I feel so proud to look back and see how far we’ve come over the last three years. I’ve made friends for life in the teammates that I’ve met along the way and it’s been an absolute pleasure to have played alongside you all.

“Thank you to all of the staff who coached me through injuries and helped me through one of the toughest times of my career.

“I also wanted to say a special thank you to (long-serving club employee) Clare Cowan. Hearts wouldn’t be Hearts if it wasn’t for you. I wanted to say publicly that I hope you know how appreciated you are.

“Finally, thanks to all of the fans that have stuck by me throughout. You’ve made my time at Hearts and I’ll forever be grateful for the uplifts and constant support. Some fan base. ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. GINO.”

The 110th Tour de France will roll out of Bilbao on Saturday morning with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar expected to vie for yellow.

When it comes to the sprints, all eyes will be on Mark Cavendish to see if the Manxman can take the Tour stage wins record outright with a 35th victory in what will be his final Tour.

But those are only some of the storylines that will play out over the next three weeks, and here the PA news agency looks at five other talking points ahead of the race.

Rider safety

Cycling is still in mourning after Gino Mader died on June 16 as a result of injuries suffered a day earlier in a crash at the Tour de Suisse. Mader, 26, went into a ravine on a high-speed descent and never regained consciousness. Amid the grief at the loss of a popular young rider have been more calls for reviews of rider safety – particularly given recent disturbing scenes at the women’s Tour of the Pyrenees, a race which was ultimately curtailed after two stages during which roads were not properly closed. The UCI, in conjunction with riders’ groups, is due to make an announcement on safety regulations on the eve of this year’s Tour.

Bernal is back

It is 18 months since 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal suffered what could have been life-threatening injuries in a training crash in his native Colombia. Happily, the 26-year-old has made huge strides in his recovery, and was rewarded with selection by the Ineos Grenadiers after riding to 12th at the Criterium du Dauphine at the start of June. There is no suggestion Bernal is yet ready to challenge again at the pointy end of a race, but it will be fascinating to see how he fares over the course of three weeks. Just by lining up, he has already scored a victory.

No Froome

But while Bernal returns, Chris Froome is missing. The four-time Tour winner has never fully got over the injuries sustained in a training crash in 2019 and, at 38 years of age, surely now never will. Even so, eyebrows were raised when Israel Premier-Tech opted to leave their star name out of the Tour team this year, particularly given the way he rode to third place on Alpe d’Huez last year. Froome himself issued a statement expressing disappointment, and vowing to return in 2024.

Yates to challenge?

Pogacar’s team boss Mauro Gianetti threw up a surprise on Wednesday when he listed Adam Yates as a co-leader alongside the two-time champion given the latter’s uncertain form following the broken wrist he suffered in April. But actually, the Yates in question here is his twin brother Simon, who carries the hopes of the Jayco-Alula team alongside sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. So far, the 30-year-old has spoken about targeting stage wins, looking to add to the two he won in 2019, but will the 2018 Vuelta a Espana winner keep himself in the general classification fight or deliberately lose time to be allowed into breakaways?

The Wright Stuff

Fred Wright ended his long wait for a first professional win in some style last weekend by winning the British national road race in Saltburn. That victory has earned the 24-year-old some new threads for the Tour as he will don the British stripes in France, making him a little more conspicuous within the peloton. Last year, Wright made a speciality of getting himself in breakaways at both the Tour and the Vuelta, and four times finished on the podium in stages across the two races even if a win eluded him. The goal will be to go one better this time.

Paul Wellens has told his stuttering St Helens stars he will not tolerate any more complacency as they prepare to host struggling Castleford in the Betfred Super League on Friday.

Wellens’ world champions looked to have shrugged off their sluggish start to the current campaign after dazzling back-to-back wins over Wigan and Huddersfield earlier this month.

But having belatedly nudged themselves back into the play-off slots, Saints summoned an abject display in last Thursday’s 34-6 loss at Hull FC that suggests their bid for a fifth consecutive title remains very much a work-in-progress.

In contrast Castleford head for the Totally Wicked Stadium on the back of a stirring win over previous pace-setters Warrington last week, and Wellens has demanded his players be on their guard for a repeat performance.

“I thought we were complacent at the weekend, Hull came at us with an intent and energy that we couldn’t match, and that was the most disappointing aspect,” said Wellens.

“Too many of us turned up to the game hoping for an easy night, and when you do that you make things much more difficult for yourself.

“It’s a massive learning for us and we’ve had some pretty honest conversations this week. But what this group has done well in the past is respond to a bad performance and we need a really positive performance at the weekend.”

Wellens did not exclude himself from criticism last week, admitting he may have made an error in opting to rest captain James Roby and hand Morgan Knowles a rare start at number nine.

So ineffective was the formation – though no particular blame could be attached to Knowles – that Roby emerged off the bench for the second half and immediately made a difference in his side’s bid to claw their way back into the match.

Their patchy performances this season have made Saints increasingly aware of their talisman’s impending retirement, with Warrington’s Daryl Clark yet to be officially confirmed as his replacement next season.

Insisting he is relaxed about the prospect of having to fill such a huge hole in his line-up, Wellens referenced Roby’s ability to make the position his own in the wake of the departure of the previous incumbent, Keiron Cunningham, in 2010.

“As a club we will be really smart about how we go about bringing in a replacement, and I will bring in a player of real quality who can add to this team,” said Wellens.

“When Keiron retired, James Roby came in and was true to himself, and we expect the same from James Roby’s replacement. James Roby is going to retire and we will move forward as a club and deal with that.”

A coffee run with Andy Murray helped Cameron Norrie embrace the expectations and responsibilities that come with being the country’s leading tennis player.

“At Davis Cup in Glasgow last year I was walking with Andy to get coffee and there were 30 or 40 people stopping Andy every day for photos and he was so patient and took the time for everyone,” Norrie tells the PA news agency.

“Seeing him doing that, I was like, ‘Wow’. He’s on another level of being famous than me. I thought I have to do the same because it was unbelievable.”

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Norrie remains in Murray’s shadow in terms of public profile despite having been Britain’s leading man since October 2021 but he thrust himself firmly into the spotlight by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals last summer.

It was the 27-year-old’s first time beyond the third round at a grand slam and, coming at Wimbledon, that swiftly translated to much wider recognition for a player who had hitherto been distinctly under the radar.

“As the tournament went on people more and more started recognising me,” he recalls.

“I was staying at my flat in Putney. I would go into the coffee shop next door every day and they had no idea I was a tennis player. By midway through they were like, ‘Oh my God, we thought you were just some random club player.’

“And obviously walking around, people asking for photos more and more. It wasn’t crazy because there’s a lot more famous people in London than me but it was cool.

“I’m always going to take the time to take photos with people and ask them if they’re into tennis. I really like it if it’s a young kid because I was one of those kids who was always asking for photos and sweatbands. So I’m really pumped to hopefully see if I can make a positive influence on them.”

The draw opened up for Norrie early on and he took full advantage, although the run was certainly not without its challenges.

He had to come from two-sets-to-one down to beat Jaume Munar in the second round and then David Goffin in the quarter-finals, with straight-sets wins over Americans Steve Johnson and Tommy Paul in between.

“The match with Tommy Paul was just flawless,” he says. “We both played such a high level. That was maybe my best match of the year and it was just a perfect day.

“The match with Goffin was just special, there were a lot of emotions after it. Prince William was watching. It was such a crazy match, being down most of the time. I almost didn’t know what to say at the end, what to do. It was a bit too much for me.

“It was an amazing time, having my friends and family watching and having this deep run, it was so much fun.”

Norrie sparked hopes he could emulate Murray by reaching the final when he took the opening set against Novak Djokovic only for the top seed to hit back decisively and win in four sets.

The run showcased everything that has seen Norrie out-perform most people’s expectations – although not his own – by establishing himself in the world’s top 15.

He does not have a big weapon but instead grinds opponents down with his heavily spun forehand and compact, flat backhand, priding himself on a relentless appetite for hard work on and off the court.

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The gruelling five-set battles where physical and mental prowess become the key factors are the ones where Norrie feels the most comfortable.

“Once I get my teeth on a player, I’m pretty tough to shake off,” he says with a grin.

Norrie’s low-key, laid-back nature was encapsulated by him shunning tournament transport to cycle to Wimbledon last year from his flat in Putney.

This year, having joined many of the top players by moving to Monte Carlo – “Good guys to practice with, the weather’s good and obviously with the tax as well,” he explains – he is staying even closer to the All England Club.

He will have no need during the fortnight, therefore, for his new Lexus RZ 450e, with Norrie recently announced as an ambassador for the luxury car brand.

Driving an electric car is one of the steps Norrie is taking to try to reduce his environmental impact.

“I’m trying my best and I’m doing little things I can,” says the world number 13, who is an eager support of the ATP’s Carbon Tracker app, which aims to inspire greener travel on the tour.

“Obviously as tennis players we’re travelling so much so it’s not ideal. I’m trying to take as many trains as I can. I’m riding my bike around a lot, filling up my drinks bottles. I know it doesn’t seem like a big thing but hopefully they add up in the long term.”

Helping limit Norrie’s travel is the fact his parents have moved from New Zealand, where the British number one grew up, to London.

Norrie is enjoying being able to spend more time as a family and especially to hang out with dogs Lulu and Peggy, who help him relax away from the court.

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“It’s been really good,” he said. “When they were visiting I was thinking I needed to hang out with them as much as possible but now they’re close I can take my time and have barbecues and see my dogs and spend time with them without worrying that they’re going to be leaving soon.”

Norrie’s father David, a Glaswegian and one of his son’s biggest supporters, has been fully embracing the British grass-court summer.

“My dad is so pumped,” says Norrie. “He’s watching all the tennis. He’s been to (Wimbledon) qualifying, he went to Surbiton, he’s watching all the other British players. He’s in heaven. He knows how everyone’s doing.

“He’s joined a local club. Both my parents were good squash players so they don’t have traditional technique at the moment.

“My dad has a good slice backhand and decent kick serve but his forehand’s his weakness. If you’re playing him, you go into the forehand all day. I tried to give him some lessons but I can’t help the forehand.”

Norrie has been honing his own forehand on grass over the past weeks, reaching the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club, as he looks to hit peak form at Wimbledon following a broadly underwhelming couple of months on clay.

Whatever happens, the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy the pressure and expectation that come with his position.

“This is exactly where I want to be and I’m going to have to get used to it even more if I want to get better,” he says.

“If you’re going to be not embracing all of it, it’s going to come and eat you alive. All I can ask from myself is to do my best. I have to go out and enjoy the experience of playing at Wimbledon and playing in front of my home crowd because it only happens once a year.”

Scotland have added James Morrison to Steve Clarke’s coaching staff.

The former Middlesbrough and West Brom midfielder earned 46 caps for Scotland during his career and was part of the backroom team for their Euro 2024 qualifier wins against Norway and Georgia earlier this month.

Following his retirement in 2019 Morrison joined West Brom’s coaching staff and will continue in his role with the Baggies academy.

He told the Scottish FA website: “It was always a great honour to represent Scotland every time I put on the shirt and it is a privilege to be given an opportunity to work with the men’s national team in a coaching capacity.

“During the recent camp, I witnessed the high standards driven by the coaching staff and players alike and I am thrilled to be a part of the group going forward, at what is a hugely exciting time for the Scotland men’s national team.”

York’s chief executive and clerk of the course William Derby hailed news that the Sky Bet Ebor winner will be handed a “golden ticket” into the Melbourne Cup field as “fantastic”.

The arrangement was announced on Thursday with the Ebor, won by the Frankie Dettori-ridden Trawlerman last year, becoming the seventh win-and-you’re-in race for the £4.4m event in November.

The Ebor, worth £500,000 itself, is the first international race to provide automatic entry into the Australian showpiece event, which has drawn the interest of plenty of European-based trainers over the years.

Dermot Weld was the first to taste success in 1993 with the legendary Vintage Crop and he repeated the feat with Media Puzzle in 2002.

Alain de Royer-Dupre and Mikel Delzangles then provided France with back-to-back wins with Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011), while Andreas Wohler struck gold for Germany in 2014 when Protectionist was ridden to victory by Ryan Moore.

More recently Joseph O’Brien twice (Rekindling 2017 and Twilight Payment 2020) and Charlie Appleby’s Cross Counter (2018) have improved the overseas raiders’ record.

The Cup itself will be in York during the Ebor meeting with the feature race taking place on August 28.

“It is fantastic to officially connect two iconic races in the Sky Bet Ebor and the Lexus Melbourne Cup with the introduction of a golden ticket for the Ebor winner into the race that stops a nation and indeed much of the world,” said Derby.

“With the York winner having finished in the top 10 at Flemington in three of the four years preceding the pandemic, this great news will give confidence to winning connections that that their start at Flemington is secure, further linking two great races.

“We look forward to welcoming the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup on all four days of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival (23-26 August) on its annual tour across the world. This makes us more hopeful that it can return to Britain after the first Tuesday in November.”

Victoria Racing Club chief executive Steve Rosich said the alignment with York was a natural progression.

“The Ebor handicap has been a proven pathway into the Melbourne Cup over the years and it is fantastic to be able to build on the association with Flemington and York racecourse,” he said.

“The introduction of a seventh golden ticket is exciting for both clubs and the connections of all potential Ebor runners. It further cements the Lexus Melbourne Cup’s international reach and appeal.”