Ronnie O’Sullivan laid on a “mind-boggling” masterclass as he booked his place in Sunday’s World Grand Prix final with a 6-1 win against China’s Ding Junhui.

Even by O’Sullivan’s standards, one week after sealing a record-extending Masters title, he produced a special display at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, which included four quickfire century breaks.

When he sank the final black to set up a meeting with three-time winner Judd Trump, the match was a little over 70 minutes long.

O’Sullivan made a superb start, making two centuries in the opening three frames to lead 2-1, with his potting close to perfection.

He opened with a break of 135 and, after Ding responded with a score of 85 to level it up at 1-1, O’Sullivan followed up with a 128.

He made a break of 88 in the fourth frame to open up a 3-1 lead, with all four frames before the interval taking just under 45 minutes.

Ding, who beat compatriot Zhang Anda 5-1 to book his semi-final place, was under pressure, but after being given a chance at the start of the fifth frame, he faltered when on 28.

O’Sullivan ruthlessly punished him, compiling a score of 90 to motor 4-1 ahead with an average shot time, up to the end of the fifth frame, of 14 seconds.

Ding erred on a tricky safety shot early in the sixth frame and O’Sullivan stepped in to rattle off his third century – 128 – to lead 5-1 after one hour and four minutes.

He pounced on another Ding mistake in frame seven and faultlessly cleared the table for a final break of 124.

Match commentator and former world champion Ken Doherty told ITV4 that it was the best session of snooker he had ever seen.

Doherty said: “He’s such an artist, such a genius. It’s artistic, poetic, it’s balletic. It’s like snooker from the gods without a shadow of a doubt.”

Co-commentator and former Masters champion Alan McManus added: “I’ve seen it and I don’t believe it.

“It was mind-boggling. It was actually one of those ‘I was there’ nights because frankly it cannot get any better that that.

“From the very start to the very end it was perfection.”

Vandeek is set to start off his season in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May.

The unbeaten Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt carried all before him in his juvenile year, with his four wins featuring Group One strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

He is seen very much as a sprinter rather than one for the mile of the Classics and Haydock will be his destination before his first major target, the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

“He’s looking super, he’s trotting and we’ll probably start him off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock at the end of May. One run before Royal Ascot,” Simon Crisford told ITV Racing.

“Commonwealth, July Cups – those sort of races we’ve got up our sleeve. The idea of not starting off in the Pavilion (Stakes, at Ascot) is we’d have to start training him a month earlier. Quite frankly, with the weather we’ve got at the moment, we’re wrapping him up in big, thick blankets.”

He added: “He was a little bit on the leg as a two-year-old. He was tall and lanky and never really looked like a sprinter physically. But now he’s beginning to take shape as a sprinter. His temperament is great and there’s so much to love about him.

“He’s done exceptionally well over the winter and fingers crossed he’s got a big season ahead.”

Oh So Grand swept aside her rivals in the BetMGM Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap at Lingfield.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who saddled Al Agaila to win the race last year, Oh So Grand was a well-fancied 11-8 favourite for the 10-furlong contest after winning each of her last two starts, including the trial for this contest last month.

Miss Bluebelle set out to make all, while Jack Mitchell was happy to settle towards the back of the pack aboard Oh So Grand, with only Queen Regent behind him in the eight-runner field.

The pacesetter was still in front with a furlong to run, but when Mitchell popped the question Oh So Grand picked up and grabbed the lead in a matter of strides.

Queen Regent followed her through down the middle of the track but could not match the winner’s sharp turn of foot, eventually coming home a length and a half adrift, with 33-1 shot Dayzee running a creditable race to be beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third.

Simon Crisford told Sky Sports Racing: “I think she’s still improving. I mean obviously we’ve seen in every race she’s been on an upward curve and she seems to be really developing into a smart filly.

“Hopefully she can be a Group filly for the summer when we get her on turf. I would be inclined to keep her over this trip, a mile and a quarter that suits her well, but she’s nimble and light on her feet – she’s not one of these galumphers, she’s got something about her.

“I really don’t know (what is next), this race was always the target so I haven’t thought even thought about what’s happening tomorrow, let alone in a few weeks’ time.

“We will have a look, see how she is, how she comes out of the race. There could be races coming up for her, obviously you’ve got (All-Weather) Finals Day and stuff like that. Who knows – we’ve just got to work it all out.”

L’Homme Presse sets out to prove he very much remains a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when he makes his eagerly-awaited comeback in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield.

The feature of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival has attracted a field of six and it is Venetia Williams’ high-class staying chaser that sets the standard, despite being off the track for over a year.

He looked booked for second in the King George VI Chase before unshipping his big-race pilot Charlie Deutsch at the last while giving chase to Bravemansgame, and before that had built up an impressive chasing CV which includes victory at the Cheltenham Festival as a novice and a mammoth effort off top-weight in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase.

Following a long 13-month wait, L’Homme Presse – who is as short as 12-1 for the Gold Cup – now seeks to reaffirm his position towards the top of the staying chasing ranks, with connections optimistic of a bold bid in the two-mile-six-furlong affair.

“It’s been a long 13 months and a lot of effort has been put in to get him back,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse in partnership with Peter Pink.

“This trip, for his comeback is ideal really, it’s an intermediate trip and it should suit him down to the ground.

“He doesn’t lack in pace and he certainly doesn’t lack in staying power as we saw in the Brown Advisory.

“He is ready to go, but he has had 13 months off. He’s run well fresh before, but whether he can run to the top of his form having had so long off we will find out.

“It’s no good looking at basic ratings because that is the best he has ever done and it’s unlikely he can achieve that first time out, but of course we are hopeful that he can.”

L’Homme Presse will be in receipt of 4lb from former Gold Cup third Protektorat, with Dan Skelton switching tactics to target this race after the nine-year-old’s failure to defend his Betfair Chase crown in November.

He has since run in handicap company at Cheltenham and his handler is confident he has his Grade One scorer in peak condition as he searches for a slice of the £165,000 prize-fund.

“He’s in good form and we were always coming here after the December race,” said Skelton.

“He’s got a job on giving weight away to a few, but it’s a race we’ve always had in mind and I’m very happy with him.

“If it’s not happening, you have got to change and we’re changing up. The trip is no issue and I’m really looking forward to running him.”

Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter and Sam Thomas’ Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit are both 11 now and will attempt to land a blow for the veterans, while Kim Bailey won the inaugural running of this race with Two For Gold and attempts to repeat the dose with Does He Know.

The field is rounded off by Gary Moore’s Full Back, who is a long way adrift of his rivals on ratings and returns from 434 days off the track.

Dan Skelton is relying on Pembroke’s thirst for testing conditions coming to the fore when he lines up in the Download The Racing App Now Lightning Novices’ Chase at Lingfield on Sunday.

Held in high-regard over hurdles last term, he improved on his first two appearances over fences when relishing the bottomless ground at Aintree last month.

That victory came over two and a half miles, but with Skelton expecting stamina to be at a premium in this Winter Million Festival event, he has few concerns about dropping back in distance.

He said: “I think two miles is more his trip. Obviously he won the other day (at Aintree) over two and a half in unraceable ground but I think he handles the type of ground particularly well.

“I’m pretty certain it is going to be testing conditions – I don’t think it will be anything like Aintree, but it will be tacky, they have had the sheets down a long time and it’s going to be hard work.

“Whether it is hard enough work we will wait and see, but having said that this Lightning Novices’ Chase is a good race for the money on offer. I think it’s a very good race and we will get to see where we stand.”

Five will go to post for the Grade Two event saved from Friday’s abandoned Lingfield card and Joe Tizzard will saddle JPR One who was not disgraced in Grade One company last time having previously been set to lay down a statement victory at Cheltenham before a mishap after the final fence saw him unship Brendan Powell.

Djelo has barely put a foot wrong since switching to the larger obstacles and Venetia Williams’ exciting six-year-old will seek to remain unbeaten and add to the Pattern honours he secured at Ascot before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies has a strong hand, saddling two live candidates in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned Matata and Wayward lad winner Master Chewy, the latter impressing when downing Nickle Back at Kempton following some game efforts in defeat.

“Master Chewy was brilliant last time, winning the Wayward Lad at Kempton, so why shouldn’t he be again?,” the trainer told his William Hill blog.

“Matata, similarly, has had a terrific season and was runner-up by just a length at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, giving nearly a stone to the winner.

“This will be a hot race, everyone’s got each other to beat. Hopefully my two will show the others what they’ve got.

“Master Chewy should, if everything goes to plan, be heading straight for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival after this.”

Arena Racing Company has announced its two Winter Million jumps fixtures will be switched from Lingfield and staged at Windsor from next season.

The Berkshire track hosted National Hunt racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to hold a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.

It was confirmed in the summer of last year that jumps racing would return to Windsor, with the Thameside track being reconfigured to utilise previous dormant areas of the site, with the jumps course a continuous left-handed circuit rather than the current figure of eight. The first meeting is scheduled for December 15.

Windsor will partner with Ascot to present the ‘Berkshire Winter Million Weekend’ in January next year, with the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot the centrepiece of Saturday and the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase headlining Sunday at Windsor.

Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said: “We were delighted to announce the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor last year, and to make this further announcement regarding the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend.

“We hope that, alongside the fantastic day’s racing at Ascot Racecourse, the three days will be hugely exciting for racing fans to look forward to in the New Year.”

Felicity Barnard, commercial director and deputy CEO at Ascot, said: “We look forward to being a part of the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million Weekend in 2025 and hope it will be an exciting weekend for racegoers to combine a visit to both tracks as well as those watching from home on both Sky Sports Racing and ITV Racing.”

The final day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Sunday is expected to go ahead as planned, although it will be subject to an 8am precautionary inspection on raceday.

The three-day fixture was due to begin with a jumps card on Friday, but a frozen track saw that cancelled. Saturday’s middle day on the all-weather had no issues.

With temperatures rising ahead of Sunday’s National Hunt action, a 2pm inspection was called on Saturday to assess any progress in the condition of the ground, a check which showed conditions had improved significantly.

Charlie Moore, head of clerking at Arena Racing Company, told ITV Racing: “We’ve had difficulty with the forecast this week, it’s been four degrees wrong on two nights. It’s amazing this track has taken minus 8C and minus 7C in the last two nights.

“If we had to race today, we could make this track raceable with some track adjustments. We’re going to pass the inspection, but we are going to put in a precautionary inspection at 8am tomorrow purely because we are aware at around 10/11 o’clock tonight it could get down to just touching freezing.

“If that was wrong and it was minus 2C we could have a moment of sweat in the morning, but if we get what is forecast we’ll be texting everyone around seven o’clock in the morning saying ‘we’re on’.

“I will be very surprised and hugely disappointed if racing did not take place tomorrow.”

The ground is reported to be good to soft, soft in places, but it was not such good news for Fakenham’s Sunday card, as officials were forced to abandon due to a frozen track.

Harvard Guy made it a hat-trick of course wins in taking the Listed Navan Handicap Hurdle.

Running off a mark 22lb higher than when successful in November, the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained gelding was given a patient ride by Mark Walsh in the JP McManus colours, as Kilbree Warrior bowled along well clear in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.

The 7-4 favourite still had work to do over the last, but in the end was able to reel in the gallant Kilbree Warrior for victory by three-quarters of a length, giving the mare 15lb in doing so.

“It was hard fought. In fairness to the second horse I thought he had gone mad on the ground, but he nearly got there,” said Eddie Harty.

“We couldn’t have ridden him any differently with the weights, but he did get there and it was a good performance.

“I’d say myself that would rule him out of Leopardstown (Dublin Racing Festival), I don’t think you could turn out after that run on that ground.

“He’s had a cracking season and if they said to me ‘that’ll do him for the year’, you couldn’t be disappointed with the season.

“We’ll have a rethink now about what is next. It was either here or Leopardstown, unless it had been lovely ground here and he’d won on the bridle. I don’t think he’ll recover enough to go three miles.”

He added: “He’s a lovely horse and he has a future over fences, he jumps very well. He’s improved physically and has improved mentally from race to race. He’s becoming a racehorse now.

“You could make a case for going for a graded novice hurdle somewhere. He likes it here.”

Defending champion Rory McIlroy carded a stunning 63 to surge into contention on day three of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic but will have to get past American Cameron Young if he is to claim a fourth title at Emirates Golf Club.

The Northern Irishman carded seven birdies and a closing eagle to get to 12 under, having entered the weekend 10 shots off Young’s lead after a slow start in the desert.

He was top of the leaderboard as the world number 25 reached the turn in 37 but Young rallied with three birdies on the back nine to sign for a 71 and open up a two-shot lead at 14 under.

Former Dubai resident McIlroy has an impressive record in the emirate, with his first professional win having come in this event 15 years ago.

He has since added two more to match Ernie Els’ record of Desert Classic wins, while also lifting the trophy twice across the city at the DP World Tour Championship.

“I’ve had so much success in Dubai, whether it be at this tournament or over at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Race to Dubais,” he said.

“It’s been a really, really good place to me. I love coming back here. I really enjoy my time here. It would be amazing if I was able to get another win.

“The first player to get my name on it four times, it would be awesome.”

McIlroy hit a brilliant approach to the first, took advantage of the par-five third and then put iron shots inside 10 feet on the seventh, eighth and ninth to turn in 30.

More birdies on par fives followed on the 10th and 13th before he holed a 45-foot putt from off the green at the last for a closing eagle.

Young started with a birdie but found water on the seventh for a double-bogey and dropped a shot on the next, with gains on the 11th, 13th and 17th taking him back to the summit.

“It would be a nice feeling (to win),” said Young, who has yet to register a win on a top-tier tour.

“It’s one of those times that you feel like kind of at peace with what you’ve done and it’s something I would love to do tomorrow. I’ve put myself in another great place to have a chance and I’m happy with that.”

Pole Adrian Meronk was alongside McIlroy at 12 under after a 70, three shots clear of Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and China’s Li Haotong.

Dan Skelton is willing to bide his time before deciding whether Warwick winner Grey Dawning heads to the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Chase next or goes straight to the Cheltenham Festival.

A drop back in trip for the Sandown Grade One had been mentioned as a potential next stepping stone for the versatile Hampton Novices’ Chase victor, but his handler would like to wait a little longer before deciding if that would be the right thing to do by his likeable charge.

The Grade Two scorer could instead head straight to Prestbury Park where the three-mile Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has been nominated as the likely port of call at the Festival in March.

“I’m going to have a think about Grey Dawning,” said Skelton.

“Immediately after the race I thought we would go to Sandown. Whether that is clever or not, I will give it a week to think about.

“I think we would just go for the three-mile race at Cheltenham if we didn’t (go to Sandown), but that’s not me looking to not run.

“I want to run him because he’s a horse who loves racing, but I would only run him if I was really, really certain it was the right thing to do.”

Stablemate Galia Des Liteaux was also in action at Warwich, where she was stayed on strongly in vain when second in the Classic Chase.

The classy eight-year-old will now be pointed towards the Randox Grand National, with Skelton following the same route he took to Aintree with Le Milos 12 months ago by stopping off at Kelso’s bet365 Premier Chase in March first.

“Galia Des Liteaux will go for the Listed chase up at Kelso on March 2 before going for the Grand National,” continued Skelton.

“We tried it with Le Milos last year and it didn’t quite come off, but it doesn’t mean we won’t try it again.”

Asian Master earned Cheltenham quotes in taking his record to two from two under rules in the Race Displays Rated Novice Hurdle at Navan.

A point-to-point winner for Tony Costello, he switched to Willie Mullins for his hurdling campaign and struck at the first time of asking at Thurles.

Made the 4-6 favourite to follow up in the hands of his amateur rider Thomas Costello, the market leader was always moving well on the heels of pacesetter Better Days Ahead.

Ridden to take over going to the last, Asian Master quickly went clear to score by 10 lengths from Better Days Ahead.

The seven-year-old was introduced at 40-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by Betfair and Paddy Power.

“I thought my horse travelled very sweet and I could see Jack Kennedy niggling his lad (Better Days Ahead) to stay in front,” said Costello, who is the grandson of the renowned late bloodstock dealer Tom Costello, whose graduates included such luminaries as three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate.

“I thought he travelled way better than him everywhere and jumped better. I fancied him today and thought he’d win to be honest. His work at home was very good, he has a fantastic attitude and takes everything in his stride.

“Jack’s horse was the horse to take out of it and I thought he’d beat him.

“We’re enjoying every day we have with him and fingers crossed, if he stays safe and lucky, we’ll have another few days out of him.”

Costello is extremely tall for a jockey and said: “I’d like to say I’m 6 (foot) 4 (inches) but I wouldn’t like to measure myself at the same time in case I got a fright!”

Allaho bids to bounce back from King George defeat in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles on Sunday.

The Grade Two contest has twice proved a springboard to Cheltenham Festival glory for the Willie Mullins-trained gelding, with his 2021 and 2022 triumphs preceding a pair of stunning front-running victories in the Ryanair Chase for owners Cheveley Park Stud.

He was similarly jaw-dropping when winning the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup, but having since spent 19 months on the sidelines, there is a question mark over how much of his former brilliance he retains.

The 10-year-old was solid rather than spectacular when making a successful comeback in November’s Clonmel Oil Chase and could finish only third as a hot favourite for Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece.

“Allaho came out of his last race fine,” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson.

“I think it’s fair to say we were hoping for a bit more from him (in the King George), maybe the ground was a bit lively and there is maybe a slight question mark whether he really stayed the three miles.

“I think coming back in trip will suit him well, so hopefully he can run well on Sunday and then we can head back for the Ryanair again.”

Henry de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen, who proved a super-sub for Allaho when winning last season’s Ryanair Chase, has also been declared for the Cheveley Park team.

Allaho is one of four runners for the champion trainer alongside Appreciate It, Capodanno and Stattler, with the Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite completing the field.

The latter has been kept fresh since finishing third behind Classic Getaway, trained by Mullins and owned by Cheveley Park, at this track in November.

“He’s grand, the ground is good so I’d be hoping for a good run,” said Morris.

“It’s a good race, they always are but this is the right race for him. It’s a Grade Two on good ground and I don’t have a lot of options.

“I still have to get him qualified for the National, he needs to be in the first four over three miles so I don’t know just yet. I’m hoping for a big run this weekend anyhow.”

Teenager Linda Noskova blew the women’s draw wide open at the Australian Open by stunning world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round.

There are no top-10 seeds left in the top half after 19-year-old Czech Noskova came from a set down to claim a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

Swiatek had dug herself out a major hole in the second round against Danielle Collins but she was unable to repeat the trick here.

“Physically, I didn’t feel anything,” said Swiatek. “Mentally, as well, I felt like actually I came back in my match against Danielle and I could kind of start over and not expect a lot, just try to play my game.

“I would say that I wasn’t returning overall in this tournament the same way as usual, especially the second serves.

“But still, I know that I did everything I could to try to make it work. Technically it didn’t work. But I know I did everything I could. I have no regrets.

“For sure I wish I could have played a little bit better in this tournament.

“I just want to get back to work. I know I’m going to have plenty of chances during the season to show my game.”

The never-ending production line of Czech female talent is one of the wonders of tennis, and 19-year-old Noskova is at the head of a new generation.

Ranked 50 but set to rise rapidly, she showed superb maturity to turn the match around after losing the first set, hitting 10 aces in a tally of 35 winners.

Swiatek speculated that Noskova would feel she had nothing to lose, but the teenager denied that, saying: “I know my game. I know that I have improved a lot in the last year-and-a-half. I just believed my game tonight.

“I just really wanted this win because I didn’t really come to that court with the thought of ‘I have nothing to lose’. I took it very seriously. It was like a match as any other. I just know that, when I’m going to be aggressive, I can play with anyone.”

She is the first teenager to beat a world number one at the Australian Open since Amelie Mauresmo defeated Lindsay Davenport in 1999.

Noskova next plays 19th seed Elina Svitolina, who was a comfortable 6-2 6-3 winner over Viktorija Golubic and will fancy her chances of reaching a first grand slam final.

So, too, will 12th seed Zheng Qinwen, who is the highest-ranked player left in the top half and is making waves, 10 years on from Li Na’s historic triumph.

Zheng needed two hours and 40 minutes to make it past countrywoman Wang Yafan 6-4 2-6 7-6 (8) on Friday as China took centre stage in the day session on Rod Laver.

But her power hitting eventually got her over the line and there was a special treat after the match when she was congratulated by Li, who is here to play in the legends event.

“That was totally a surprise for me,” said Zheng. “She just went to me, say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to meet her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in person.

“She said to me ‘don’t think too much, just keep (it) simple’. I think that’s – right now – what I need to do as well.”

Zheng revealed in her on-court interview that she had watched Li’s final victory over Dominika Cibulkova here in 2014 10 times.

Li remains the only Chinese winner of a grand slam singles title having become the first Asian champion when she claimed the French Open crown in 2011.

There is a growing number of Chinese players, both men and women, pushing towards the top of the game, but Zheng is at the head of the queue.

In the last 16, she will take on Oceane Dodin, who defeated fellow unseeded French player Clara Burel 6-2 6-4 to reach the fourth round at a slam for the first time.

One of Zheng, Dodin, 26th seed Jasmine Paolini and Russian Anna Kalinskaya is guaranteed to make a first slam semi-final.

Paolini ended the run of Anna Blinkova, who knocked out Elena Rybakina in round two, while Kalinskaya beat former finalist Sloane Stephens 6-7 (8) 6-1 6-4.

It is turning into an excellent tournament for Ukraine, with Dayana Yastremska joining Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk in the last 16, thanks to a 6-2 2-6 6-1 upset of 27th seed Emma Navarro.

She next faces two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka, who is again looking strong in Melbourne and came from 2-5 down in the second set to beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 7-5.