Ex-footballer Ben Turner is excited to see Marsh Wren return to Warwick for what he describes as her ‘cup final’ in Thursday’s Larkshill Engineering Lady Godiva Mares’ Novices’ Chase – should the meeting survive a morning inspection.

The Stuart Edmunds-trained seven-year-old carries the colours of the Far Bihoue Partnership, which is fronted by the former Cardiff and Coventry City defender.

Having seen Marsh Wren make a successful debut over fences at Warwick last month, Turner is keeping his fingers crossed she can boost her future value as a broodmare with victory in this Listed event.

“This is a massive opportunity for her to get some black type as we want to breed from her eventually and I don’t think we will get a better mare to breed from,” he said.

“From what both Stu and Ciaran Gethings have said she is looking in savage form at home. Arclight is rated higher than us, and is trained by a master trainer in Nicky Henderson, and we have to give her weight as she is only a four-year-old, but her best form is over shorter and on better ground.

“The ground can’t be testing enough for Marsh Wren. So many horses struggle to find that little bit extra when the ground is bottomless but she takes to it like a duck to water.

“This is Marsh Wren’s time of year, and this is her trip. This is her cup final, and we planned to go here even before she won her last start.”

Turner is now retired from professional football following a fine career which saw him play and score in the 2012 League Cup final for Cardiff City against Liverpool. He also featured in the ‘Bluebirds’ team that lifted the 2012-13 Championship title.

Having been associated with the glamour of the Premier League, the 35-year-old is proud of the fact that he been able to offer people outside of the stereotypical racehorse owner the opportunity to be part of something special with Marsh Wren.

He added: “My family would say the League Cup Final would be their best memory, and it would be my best one-off memory, but getting promoted to the Premier League was my best achievement as that takes some doing over 46 games.

“Marsh Wren was purchased on a shoestring budget and we have 30 people involved in her including several members of my family.

“What is great about the syndicate is that they are all working class people who have normal jobs. We haven’t got the resources to spend big money out of the point-to-point field, but here they are with a horse in a Listed race.

“When I was playing football I was fortunate enough to have half and quarter shares in horses, along with owning one outright, but being in a syndicate like this is no less of a buzz.

“We have people in their 20s right through to their 70s involved so we have the full age scale, which is great to see.”

The meeting is subject to a 7.30am inspection due to the threat of waterlogging.

Jos Buttler lamented England’s batting, but admitted they must find a way to restrict the West Indies, whose six-hitting prowess saw them claim a four-wicket win in the T20 opener.

England raced to 77 for none at the end of the powerplay, then 112 for two at halfway, but collapsed to 171 all out in 19.3 overs, losing their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls in Barbados.

Adil Rashid marked his 100th T20 appearance – he was presented with his cap by Andrew Flintoff – with two for 25 and became the first English male bowler to collect 100 wickets in the format.

But the Windies batters lived up to their reputation as big hitters, bludgeoning 14 sixes in total, possibly aided by a half-hour rain delay that made bowling conditions trickier.

Buttler accepted figuring out how to stop them so readily being able to clear the rope must be a priority for England’s bowlers in the remaining four matches.

“From the position we were in at halfway, to only end up with 170 is an area we could have improved in,” Buttler said. “The wicket definitely got harder and the West Indies adapted.

“They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big.

“You’ve got to find ways to get it out the arc, try and find ways to take wickets as well, be aggressive and be committed. It’s a great test for us and we’ll find out lots over the next few games.

“But certainly we need to find a way to score 20-25 more runs in that phase which would have been a really good score on that wicket.”

Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell marked his first international appearance since the 2021 T20 World Cup with three for 19 and an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, as the Windies won with 11 balls to spare.

He is a regular on the franchise circuit, but has been coaxed back into the Windies set-up by former team-mate and now head coach Darren Sammy just a few months before they co-host the T20 World Cup.

“I still have a lot left in the tank, but based on discussions with the coach I told him that after the World Cup, I would walk away from international cricket,” the 35-year-old said.

“But if they need me, I will come out of retirement. If West Indies should still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them. I always want to play for West Indies.

“Sometimes people might think it’s all about playing leagues and all of those things, but I try to make sure that I look after my body and make sure that when this call up is here, I’m ready.”

England have no time to lick their wounds after a miserable World Cup and ODI series defeat against the Windies was followed by another setback here, with the second T20 on Thursday in Grenada.

They were vindicated in selecting two leg-spinners as Rashid and Ahmed shared five of the six Windies wickets and the pair are set to feature in two matches in Grenada and another couple in Trinidad.

“It was great to see them operate together,” the England captain added. “We need to find out if it’s an option here before we get to the World Cup.

Rashid continues to shine for England and will almost certainly be instrumental in their T20 World Cup defence in six months’ time.

“He was class again,” Buttler said. “He’s been a key player for England for such a long period of time, to reach 100 caps shows his longevity, his skill and he’s been such an important member of our team.”

Giorgio Chiellini believes the Saudi Pro League deserves greater respect as the Gulf state aims to build a competition capable of shifting the global power dynamic in football.

The former Juventus defender, who announced his retirement on Monday, made a similarly unexpected move to the United States when joining MLS side Los Angeles FC in 2022.

Having admired from afar when Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar all completed the switch to Saudi Arabia, Chiellini thinks world football must take note of the ongoings in Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, FIFA announced in October that Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid to host the 2034 World Cup before the deadline, making a second tournament in the Gulf a formality following last year's World Cup in Qatar.

"I think that we have to respect this type of new league and new market," Chiellini, who confirmed his retirement on Monday, told Stats Perform.

"Saudi Arabia is trying to do a lot of new advertising ahead of the World Cup in 2034 to host a good tournament – not like what happened in Qatar. They were trying to do their best but weren't able to develop football in the culture.

"It maybe needs more time. They have just started to build a basis a little better than Qatar and they have a much bigger state than Qatar; that could help them reach this goal."

A host of world-class talent has been enticed to the Saudi Pro League, with players struggling to refuse lucrative contracts.

But Chiellini called for trust in Saudi Arabia's efforts.

"They are doing something unexpected and something so strong in this way," he added. "But I think that they are very trustworthy and it's not a fake moment that will finish.

"Then we'll see, I don't know how it will continue to develop and there are many directions [that it could go], but it's something that we have to respect.

"We have to accept and I think that we have to take advantage of all that, but also we could adapt that in both ways.

"[It is] something that could be good for everyone, from European football and Saudi, it depends on the way you want to see it but it's something that we could expect for years to come."

Two runners from the Kentucky Derby meeting in 2024 will be offered wild card entries for the Epsom Classics run in June four weeks later.

A runner from the Edgewood Stakes, run on Kentucky Oaks day (May 3), will receive an entry and travel incentive for the Betfred Oaks on May 31, while a colt from the American Turf Stakes on Kentucky Derby day will get the same privileges for the Betfred Derby.

Jockey Club Racecourses and Ascot have been coordinating with Churchill Downs Incorporated to create links between historic races in the UK and the top turf races in the United Stakes, with the aim of increasing runners between the two countries.

With that in mind, there will also be wild card spots up for grabs in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes for the King Charles III Stakes (formerly King’s Stand) and the Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes for either the Prince of Wales’s Stakes or the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.

In return, a runner from the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and the Queen Anne will receive the same incentive for the Arlington Million and a runner from the Falmouth will be invited to the Beverly D Stakes.

The winners will be invited but should they not take it up, the racecourses may turn to the placed horses instead.

Matt Woolston, assistant racing and international racing director at The Jockey Club, said: “We’re delighted to develop these links with races at the Kentucky Derby Meeting in its 150th year.

“A trip to Churchill Downs is one that should be on the bucket list for every racing fan, the world over. The Kentucky Derby itself can trace its origin back to Epsom Downs in 1780, when Diomed won the very first Derby, and we are proud to reinforce this historic link.

“These historic races already have an international reputation and we want to welcome more and more international runners in the years to come.”

Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot racecourse, said: “We are very excited to be working with Churchill Downs and the UK Jockey Club on this exciting new initiative.

“We were very pleased to play our part hosting the Churchill team at Royal Ascot last year, with the Kentucky Derby trophy on display as they built up to this important 150th running of the world’s greatest dirt race.

“We have a rich modern history of American runners at Royal Ascot and their success always adds hugely to the meeting.”

Gerri Colombe appears increasingly likely to travel across the Irish Sea over the festive period to contest the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

So impressive when scoring at Aintree in the spring, Gordon Elliott’s charge made a successful reappearance with a last-gasp win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal last month.

The leading Cheltenham Gold Cup contender has the option of remaining on home soil for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, but Elliott is currently favouring the trip to Sunbury.

“He’s going to work Friday morning and if everything is okay, he’s going to go to Kempton,” the trainer said at Punchestown on Tuesday.

Gerri Colombe is the 11-4 second-favourite for the King George with the sponsors, who make last year’s winner Bravemansgame their 2-1 market leader despite suffering back-to-back defeats so far this season.

The Willie Mullins-trained Allaho is next on the list at 11-2, with Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin a 6-1 shot to claim victory on what will effectively be his seasonal debut, having refused to start at Ascot last month before subsequently missing potential outings at Newcastle and Sandown.

Royale Pagaille, who beat Bravemansgame in last month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock for Venetia Williams, is also a single-figure price at 8-1, as is Patrick Neville’s stable star The Real Whacker.

Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.

It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.

If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.

“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.

“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.

“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”

Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.

He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.

“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.

“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.

“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”

When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”

Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.

It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.

If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.

“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.

“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.

“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”

Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.

He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.

“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.

“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.

“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”

When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”

The remarkable patience of Elixir D’Ainay’s connections was rewarded as he made a triumphant return from almost four years on the sidelines in the William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Hurdle at Punchestown.

The JP McManus-owned gelding proved his ability in his first season with Willie Mullins during the 2019/20 campaign, notably chasing home Envoi Allen in a Grade One at Naas before falling two flights from home in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham won by Shishkin.

Despite a mammoth absence totalling 1372 days, Elixir D’Ainay was a 4-5 favourite for his comeback in County Kildare and showed at least some of his talent remains intact with a comfortable victory.

Ridden by Mark Walsh, the nine-year-old looked to have a race on his hands after being chased into the home straight by Whimsy, but he knuckled down after the final flight to repel that challenge by two and a quarter lengths.

McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Willie had him entered in a chase and I’d presume that’s the road he’ll go down from here.

“It’s lovely to get him back and that was a lovely race to find for him. We’ll be happy now if the wheels stay on.

“He’s a fine, big horse and his form was very good around the time he got injured. It’s lovely to see him back and credit to all of Willie’s team.”

Elixir D’Ainay was one of three winners on the card for the champion trainer, with Paul Townend steering Embassy Gardens (8-11) and Blizzard Of Oz (5-4) to short-priced victories in the beginners chase and maiden hurdle respectively.

Townend was particularly impressed with Embassy Gardens’ jumping, saying: “He’s brilliant, when you’re riding him, you’d be encouraged to keep asking him everywhere but on that ground you can’t.

“It was the perfect introduction, he relaxed and jumped well. I didn’t have to be too hard on him but going around on that ground will take a bit out of them anyway.

“He raced properly with me today. He was too keen when he ran in the Albert Bartlett in Cheltenham, but I lit him up early. Today was just about getting him to do things right and he did, he couldn’t have done any more.

“He has loads of scope for the big one and he was a joy to ride. Hopefully, this will be his year.”

Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower won the opening William Hill Ireland Rated Novice Chase for the McManus-Walsh combination.

Fourth behind the top-class Facile Vega at Navan last month, the five-year-old was the 9-4 favourite to make it third time lucky over fences in this lower grace and got the better of a duel with Firm Footings to do just that by a head.

“He had two great runs and he delivered today, so it was great,” said Mangan.

“It turned out to be a sprint, they went very handy for the first mile. He has a bit of class, he’s not too slow. I’ll be speaking to Mark and I’ll see what they want to do with him.”

Gordon Elliott’s point-to-point graduate Kish Bank (4-5 favourite) made a winning debut under rules in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro/Am) Flat Race, with Harry Swan in the saddle.

Elliott said: “He’s a grand horse. To be honest, I was kind of nervous about running him because he ran in a point-to-point a few weeks ago.

“He’s a horse for the future, a big horse and we’ll put him away now until next year. You might see him run in a graded hurdle or something but he won’t do much this season, as he’s a massive horse.”

Gordon Elliott’s promising novice chaser Imagine could head across the Irish Sea for a Grade One start at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The five-year-old began his chasing career this season, starting out at Fairyhouse in a beginners event he won by a comfortable two and a half lengths.

He then stepped up in class at Punchestown late last month to contest the Grade Two Craddockstown Novice Chase.

Under Jack Kennedy, Imagine was required to dig deeper than on debut but he did so to come home the winner when crossing the line half a length ahead of John Ryan’s Lucid Dreams.

A step up in trip is now afoot and so too is a step up in grade, as the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day is pencilled into his diary – a Grade One event run over an extended three miles.

Alternatively, Imagine holds two entries at Leopardstown’s festive meeting, over two miles and a furlong in the Racing Post Novice Chase and over three miles and half a furlong in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase – both Grade Ones.

He is also in Limerick’s Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase over nearly two and a half miles.

Imagine is owned by Andy and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction, whose racing manager Joey Logan said of the gelding: “We’re very happy with him, to be honest.

“He stepped up from his beginners in Fairyhouse and won the Grade Two and we were very happy with that.

“He wants further really, two miles is a bit short and we’re hoping we might step him up at Christmas time.

“I think the further he goes, the better he’ll be. We’re looking at the Grade One on Boxing Day at Kempton, that’s a possibility.

“He’ll have an entry and we’ll sit down with Gordon to discuss. If not, it’ll be Leopardstown but that’s what we’re thinking of at the moment.”