Daniel Ricciardo has been ruled out of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix after he suffered a broken wrist in Zandvoort.

Ricciardo, who was due to take part in only his third comeback race, crashed out of practice on Friday and was in obvious pain when he emerged from his AlphaTauri cockpit.

The 34-year-old Australian was immediately taken to the medical centre before he was transported to a nearby hospital with his left arm in a sling.

A subsequent X-ray confirmed Ricciardo had sustained a break to the metacarpal on his left hand.

He will be replaced by Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, 21, with the New Zealander to make his Formula One debut.

A statement from Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri team read: “After today’s incident during Free Practice 2 in Zandvoort, in which Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier at Turn 3, he was brought to the local hospital and further examinations were carried out.

“An X-ray confirmed he sustained a break to a metacarpal on his left hand, and this injury will not allow him to continue his duties, so he will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of this weekend. The team wishes him all the best for the quickest possible recovery.”

The flashpoint happened just 10 minutes into the second running when Oscar Piastri and Ricciardo crashed at relatively low speed within moments of each other at the same corner.

Australian Piastri, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, lost control of his McLaren through the banked left-handed Turn 3 before slamming into the barriers.

Moments later, Ricciardo, who appeared distracted by the sight of Piastri’s wounded machine, locked up under braking before following his compatriot into the tyre wall. He was still holding the steering wheel when he made impact with the Armco.

“Ah f***, my hand, f***,” he said over the radio.

Following Ricciardo’s dismissal by McLaren at the end of last season, and his career in apparent tatters, Ricciardo was handed a second chance by AlphaTauri, racing in Hungary and Belgium before the sport’s summer break.

Ricciardo, an eight-time grand prix winner, was hopeful of using the concluding 10 rounds to prove he was worthy of a promotion back to Red Bull in place of Sergio Perez.

But his plans now hang in the balance. The races come thick and fast, with the Italian Grand Prix to follow next weekend, and it is unclear at this stage when Ricciardo will be able to return to the cockpit.

When the action resumed after Ricciardo’s crash, Lando Norris denied Max Verstappen a practice double by setting the pace.

More than 300,000 spectators will descend on the coastal town of Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, as the sport emerges from its summer slumber.

The majority of whom will do so in the expectation of watching Verstappen march to his ninth consecutive victory – equalling a record set by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2013 – as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.

But McLaren’s Norris raised the suggestion he could spoil Verstappen’s homecoming party after he ended the day with the fastest time.

While practice speed is treated with caution, the British driver edged out Verstappen, who was fastest in the first running, by just 0.023 seconds. The impressive Alex Albon finished third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion finished three tenths adrift in his Mercedes with team-mate George Russell only 14th in the order.

Ricciardo’s team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished fifth with Pierre Gasly sixth and Sergio Perez, 125 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, seventh.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 25.

Gary Neville had an idea who could Phil in at left-back for United.

Prediction or concern from KP?

Tyson Fury issued a warning.

Four years ago today Ben Stokes hit his remarkable 135 not out at Headingley to level the Ashes series at 1-1.

And three years ago James Anderson also achieved something special.

The Rocket delved into the archives.

Daniel Ricciardo hurt his hand during Dutch GP practice.

Lando Norris was fastest for McLaren.

Stroopwafels were proving popular.

AJ was in attendance.

Williams were ready for the race weekend.

As was Valtteri Bottas.

Niki Lauda was remembered.

A fashion statement from Zhou Guanyu.

Daniel Ricciardo has been ruled out of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after suffering a broken wrist in practice, the PA news agency understands.

The 34-year-old Australian, in only his third race back on the grid, crashed out of second practice in Zandvoort.

It is believed he will be replaced by Liam Lawson with the New Zealander to make his Formula One debut.

Lando Norris denied Max Verstappen a practice double by setting the pace for Sunday’s grand prix – after Ricciardo crashed out and was taken to hospital.

More than 300,000 spectators will descend on the coastal town of Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, as Formula One emerges from its summer slumber.

The majority of whom will do so in the expectation of watching Verstappen march to his ninth consecutive victory – equalling a record set by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2013 – as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.

But McLaren’s Norris raised the suggestion he could spoil Verstappen’s homecoming party after he ended the day with the fastest time.

While practice speed is treated with caution, the British driver edged out Verstappen, who was fastest in the first running, by just 0.023 seconds. The impressive Alex Albon finished third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion finished three tenths adrift in his Mercedes with team-mate George Russell only 14th in the order.

“That was a great day for me,” said Hamilton. “I woke up this morning so excited to get back in the car and from the first lap it felt like we had a good starting point to work from.

“The car is feeling more competitive here, so we want to hold on to that and see if we can extract more for tomorrow.”

The second session was suspended after just 10 minutes when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Ricciardo crashed out at the same corner.

Australian Piastri, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, lost control of his McLaren through the banked left-handed Turn 3 before slamming into the barriers.

Moments later, Ricciardo, who appeared distracted by the sight of Piastri’s wounded McLaren, locked up under braking before following his compatriot into the tyre wall.

“Ah f***, my hand, f***,” the 34-year-old said over the radio after the incident.

Both men played no further part in the running as their damaged cars were towed back to their respective garages.

Ricciardo was still holding the steering wheel as he hit the wall and he was taken to the medical centre. He was then pictured leaving with his left arm in a sling, and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for further checks on his wrist.

The Australian will now sit out the remainder of the weekend.

Red Bull motorsport adviser Dr Helmut Marko said after the crash: “We don’t know exactly what it is yet, but he was in a lot of pain. His wrist has suffered damage, but we have to wait for the diagnosis.

“This is a new situation for us. We will first wait to see how Ricciardo is doing and whether he can drive or not, and then we discuss who gets in the car.”

Ferrari have endured a lacklustre campaign and there was little for the Italian giants to cheer on Friday, with Charles Leclerc 11th and team-mate Carlos Sainz 16th.

Ricciardo’s team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished fifth with Pierre Gasly sixth and Sergio Perez, 125 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, seventh.

Courtney Lawes credits Eddie Jones for giving his career a second wind as he prepares to joins the ranks of England’s Test centurions.

Lawes leads England into Saturday’s World Cup send-off against Fiji at Twickenham playing for the head coach – Steve Borthwick – who was also his captain when he made his debut against Australia in 2009.

The 34-year-old back row warrior has shown tenacity to overcome a host of significant injuries, but his reinvention from defensive hitman to model blindside flanker was not reward for his efforts alone.

First inspired by Northampton forwards coach Dorian West as he was finding his feet as an 18-year-old second row, it was not until Eddie Jones took charge of England in 2015 that his game evolved again.

“In my early days it was Dorian West who had the biggest impact. I say that begrudgingly because he’ll love that!” Lawes said.

“Dorian was a big influence on me, helping me get that bit of edge and to become a tough player. He really built that into me. Then later on it was definitely Eddie.

“When I stopped progressing as a player he was the one who came in and really gave me the boot to push me on to be the player I could be. And I’m very thankful for that.

“He dropped me first, but then he gave me a couple of ultimatums that I took away and worked at.

“He told me I needed to keep hitting people and I needed to carry better, become the ball-carrier I was when I was younger.

“I just started carrying more and in training I would do a lot more extras with footwork and handling tips out the back.

“I’m not as heavy as the big boys like David Ribbans who is 124kg and can run straight over you.

“I’m not quite that. I like to use a bit of footwork, hit better lines and use the big lads when they are available.”

Lawes will be hoping that his jubilation at becoming the fifth man to win 100 England caps is matched by evidence of improvement in a side that is reeling from four defeats in five matches.

Borthwick’s England have lurched from a disappointing Six Nations to a poor Summer Nations Series and need a morale-boosting win against Fiji ahead of their critical World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9.

Lawes insists squad and management are operating with a unified purpose in the hope of turning the ship around with the players now having more input.

“When you have a coaching staff like we have, you get on board quite quickly with the strategies being put in place,” Lawes said.

“What we have started to do is get the players’ perspective on it and how we can tweak and change it to best suit our strengths.

“We will continue to press on, especially in attack which we have not been good in yet. We really think we will come good.

“The only thing I can really say is the truth, which is we are literally giving absolutely everything we have got to better this team and to become the squad we can. And sometimes that can even make you not play as well.

“You can stiffen up, but we’re learning as a team how to work together, what our strengths and weaknesses are and how we can put that on our opposition and drill it home.

“When they do that ball is going to start rolling in our favour because everybody is pulling in the same direction. That’s not always the case, unfortunately.

“You understand when a team is only out for the team, when you’ve got a number of individuals that are only out for themselves.

“And that’s when you know you’ve got an issue, and that is not an issue that this team has.”

If ever a horse was aptly named it is Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes winner Live In The Dream, who propelled trainer Adam West and jockey Sean Kirrane into the limelight at York.

West is far from one of the smallest trainers around with around 45 horses – but he is certainly not one of the biggest, either.

For Kirrane, though, based in the north of England and who principally rides for Tim Easterby, he will be hoping this is the success that takes his career to the next level.

Just like former champion Paul Hanagan, who retired on Friday, the 22-year-old is from a non-racing background. But he certainly had some connections as his uncle managed to get him his first job in racing with none other than the all-conquering Willie Mullins.

“I’ve got no background in racing. I lived about a 10-minute walk from Leopardstown where I’m from in Dublin. My parents took me there as a child and that is where my interest came from,” said Kirrane.

“I had lessons on ponies, but my first opportunity to ride out was at Willie Mullins’ when I was 15. I took an apprentice licence out with Johnny Levins on the Curragh when I was 17 or 18 and still at school and that was when I realised it was what I wanted to do after my first couple of winners.

“It was a chance contact through my uncle how I got to Willie’s, he knew someone there who got me the job and that was where I learned to ride a racehorse, that was the very start of it and it’s the old cliche, I got bitten by the bug there.”

As with so many young jockeys starting out in Ireland, they become attracted to the sheer volume of racing in the UK which opens up so many more opportunities.

He went on: “I had a conversation with my boss Johnny Levins as he had about 25 horses, but he had a stable jockey and I was a 10lb claimer at the time. He thought when I finished at school there’d be more opportunities for me in England with more racing.

“I came over and the rest is history.”

That only tells half the story of how he came to pick up the ride on what is now one of the fastest horses in Europe.

“My association with Adam is strange I suppose, a northern-based jockey riding for a trainer from Epsom,” said Kirrane.

“I was riding down south one day and stayed over as I had a ride at Goodwood the next day so I rang Adam on the off chance he needed someone to ride out.

“I went in and rode two lots and the first horse he put me on won three or four on the bounce and the association has grown from there.

“I rode this lad a couple of years ago, it went well and then I got back on him earlier this year. Let’s not beat around the bush, he probably had lots of opportunities to get a top jockey on but he stayed loyal to me, despite my inexperience, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

Quite often the Nunthorpe, more than any other top sprint, is simply won by the fastest horse.

While that may sound a quite simplistic thing to say, York’s flat five furlongs seems to lend itself to out-and-out speedsters. Think of Sharpo, Lochsong, Dayjur, Oasis Dream, Mecca’s Angel and Battaash.

Not many would have argued had you said Live In The Dream would be leading at halfway, as he showed great pace in the Palace House at Newmarket earlier this year, but his 28-1 starting price showed not many thought he would hang on.

“It’s a surreal feeling and it hasn’t really sunk in yet, it just feels like winning another race at the moment,” said Kirrane.

“The feeling in the last 60 yards when I could hear the cracks of the whips behind me but I knew I wasn’t going to get caught was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

“A massive amount of credit goes to the horse, he’s really stepped up this year and it’s been an incredible journey for all of us.

“Adam has produced this horse brilliantly in top form today. He needed the run out in France last time in a Listed race as he’d had a month off. It brought him forward perfectly.

“Every time you go out on him you quietly fancy him as he is so effective over a fast five and York can play into the hands of front runners on this ground.

“It’s no secret how we ride him. We make lengths out of the gate and ride him aggressively, but he has a turn of foot as well. We try to take them off their feet in the closing stages, but today I was able to keep him on the bridle longer than I ever have as nothing ever came to me at the furlong pole. When I took him off it he found another gear again. What a performance.

“It’s lovely fast ground here today and he just skips across it, he’s amazing and is obviously a seriously talented animal.”

Victory in the Nunthorpe has earned Live In The Dream an automatic spot at the Breeders’ Cup – and Kirrane feels he will be perfectly suited to American sprinting.

“Adam is talking about America. I’d probably have to get in the sauna to lose a couple of pounds to ride him over there, but that would really suit him as he’s won around Chester and won at Lingfield. He was obviously good here today, but he’s better round a bend,” he said.

“If they go out there off the back of this he’d be seriously competitive.”

Lando Norris denied Max Verstappen a practice double by setting the pace for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix – after Daniel Ricciardo crashed out and was taken to hospital.

More than 300,000 spectators will descend on the coastal town of Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, as Formula One emerges from its summer slumber.

The majority of whom will do so in the expectation of watching Verstappen march to his ninth consecutive victory – equalling a record set by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2013 – as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.

But McLaren’s Norris raised the suggestion he could spoil Verstappen’s homecoming party after he ended the day with the fastest time.

While practice speed is treated with caution, the British driver edged out Verstappen, who was fastest in the first running, by just 0.023 seconds. The impressive Alex Albon finished third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion finished three tenths adrift in his Mercedes with team-mate George Russell only 14th in the order.

The second session was suspended after just 10 minutes when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Ricciardo crashed out at the same corner.

Australian Piastri, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, lost control of his McLaren through the banked left-handed Turn 3 before slamming into the barriers.

Moments later, Ricciardo, who appeared distracted by the sight of Piastri’s wounded McLaren, locked up under braking before following his compatriot into the tyre wall.

“Ah f***, my hand, f***,” the 34-year-old said over the radio after the incident.

Both men played no further part in the running as their damaged cars were towed back to their respective garages.

Ricciardo was still holding the steering wheel as he hit the wall, and he was taken to the medical centre. He was then pictured leaving with his left arm in a sling, and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for further checks on his wrist, raising some doubt over his participation for the remainder of the weekend.

Ferrari have endured a lacklustre campaign and there was little for the Italian giants to cheer on Friday, with Charles Leclerc 11th and team-mate Carlos Sainz 16th.

Ricciardo’s team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished fifth with Pierre Gasly sixth and Sergio Perez, 125 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, seventh.

Epsom trainer Adam West enjoyed a breakthrough big-race victory as Live In The Dream blazed his way to a shock Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes success at York.

The progressive four-year-old was steadily improving through the ranks this term, having started the season by winning a pair of handicaps, but he was lining up in Group One company for the very first time on the Knavesmire.

Pinging the gates and sent straight to the front in the hands of Sean Kirrane, the son of Prince Of Lir surged his way up the five-furlong track and was not for catching as defending champion and 7-5 favourite Highfield Princess tried in vein to hunt down the surprise 28-1 scorer.

It was not only a first Group One triumph, but a first Group-level victory of any kind for both West and Kirrane as they enjoyed their finest hour in one of the season’s fastest-run contests.

West said: “I never thought it was possible to win. We were laughing about there being six places and how his odds were so skinny. We should have backed him to win!

“I’ve had a Group One winner, it’s amazing. I think we’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup as I think he’s 10lb better on a turning track. That’s a big statement, but I do. He can get a breather round a bend whereas on these straight courses he usually can’t, but he just nicked enough today.

“We were going to take him for a race at Del Mar but we costed it, we’re not a big yard and it was too expensive to go.”

Pace has always been Live In The Dream’s number one asset and following placed efforts when getting a taste of Group action earlier in the season in both the Palace House Stakes and Temple Stakes, York was tailor-made for the Epsom-based speedster.

West added: “In the Temple Stakes we think the ground might have been a touch too quick for him and he hung a little bit away from the rail. Today with that tiny bit of rain he has been able to fully let himself down and keep straight.

“This is incredible I never thought anything like this would happen. Seven years I’ve been training and we’ve had him from a yearling and the journey has been incredible.

“I have to do what I have to do and if a horse shows the ability I will stick them in the races. That’s what I have always done. It’s a really tough game at the moment and you look at how things are and you think ‘is this a future’ and then you get something like this and it changes everything.

“I’ve always joked that we had the fastest horse in the south of England and we’ve just gone and proved it I think.”

The Nunthorpe serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and West is now relishing a trip to Santa Anita in early November.

“I can’t wait, let’s take them on,” he said. “It is an amazing opportunity and something we never ever thought we would get.

“Trying to make ends meet to try to get that money together and both get him over there and get him back is just all taken care of and it’s some rollercoaster.”

Although securing a first top-level success, West does not envisage it causing a massive upturn in his fortunes and he is more than content to continue plying his trade on the smaller scale in Epsom.

He explained: “Epsom is the perfect mix of town and country for me, I can be out with my ferrets in 20 minutes one way and out in town with my owners 20 minutes the other.

“It’s the perfect place for me and I’m very happy. The owners in that tight-knit community have been fantastic. All this week and the last six months Epsom has been quoted saying it needs a Group One winner and they have just had one.

He went on: “It’s not viable (training), it is simply not viable. The BHA do their best to govern and mind us as trainers, but realistically unless you are on the top, top scale, training is not a viable option.

“But money is not why any of us do it, we do it because we love the animals and we love the whole sport. Ultimately grassroots will always be there because of the passion, but we are under serious strain and any help we would be grateful of.

“But we will take this as one of the peaks.”

John Quinn was making no excuses for Highfield Princess after the superstar mare had to make do with minor honours in her bid for back-to-back victories in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York.

Success in the five-furlong contest was the middle leg of a Group One treble for the the six-year-old last summer, with her Knavesmire triumph sandwiched by two other top-level wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest in France and the Flying Five in Ireland.

Having twice run well in defeat at Royal Ascot in June, Highfield Princess enjoyed a confidence-boosting win at Goodwood three weeks ago and hopes were high that she could successfully her crown – but in Live In The Dream she faced a rival who had failed to read to script.

With her regular partner Jason Hart in the saddle, Quinn’s ace looked to be perfectly positioned throughout as she tracked a fierce pace set by the Adam West-trained outsider.

But try as she might, Highfield Princess was unable to reel in the all-the-way winner, with a length separating them at the line.

“She ran a great race, well done to the winner – that’s racing,” Quinn said.

“The winner got away and well done to them. She’s run a fantastic race and she’s a horse of two lifetimes.

“As long as she’s all right we’ll go to the Curragh (Flying Five), that’s the plan.”

Three-quarters of a length behind Highfield Princess in third was her Royal Ascot conqueror Bradsell, who had been kept fresh by Archie Watson since that victory in the King’s Stand.

There is every chance the pair will lock horns again before the season is out.

Watson said: “Probably the draw has probably worked against us, because the winner has blazed a trail and stuck on really well and that has probably favoured Highfield Princess in our battle for second.

“Hollie (Doyle) was very happy when the two-year-old has gone quick on our side, Big Evs, but she’s had to tack across to try and latch on to the other two.

“He’s rUn a huge race and I would imagine the Flying Five and possibly the Abbaye, but we will see and the Flying Five will be next.”

On the possibility of encountering more testing conditions in France, the trainer added: “The Abbaye would probably be my less favoured race, I would prefer to go Ireland and then America (Breeders’ Cup), but we’ll see.

“Ground-wise, until he runs on it we don’t really know, but when I was at William Haggas’ we had Tasleet (SIRE) and he loved it heavy so until he runs in it and tells us he doesn’t like it we don’t know.”

Fallon Sherrock has made more darting history by becoming the first female to produce a televised nine-dart finish.

The 29-year-old rose to prominence in 2019 by winning two matches at the PDC World Championship, becoming the maiden woman to taste victory at Alexandra Palace.

She then achieved the best result by a woman at a major tournament by making the quarter-finals of the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts and reached the Nordic Darts Masters final the same year before losing to Michael Van Gerwen.

After becoming the first female to hit a perfect leg in PDC history at the Winmau Challenge Tour event in Germany in March, she did it again in front of the cameras at the Modus Super Series on Friday.

Sherrock hit back-to-back maximums to leave 141, which she checked out by following a seventh consecutive 180 with a treble 19 and double 12.

That levelled up her match with Adam Lipscombe at 3-3 before she took the deciding leg to secure a 4-3 victory in Portsmouth.

Andrea Atzeni has a fantastic chance of signing off with a farewell winner when he links up with Group One scorer Lezoo at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Classic-winning jockey will put a halt on his 16-year riding career in the UK after the meeting on the July course ahead of an initial six-month switch to Hong Kong where the new season kicks off at Sha Tin on September 10.

The Italian was granted a part-season licence in the Far East which will last until February 12, and fresh from Group One glory aboard Vandeek in Deauville’s Prix Morny, he can say goodbye in style having picked up the spare ride aboard last year’s Cheveley Park Stakes heroine as his final mount.

The Zoustar filly was last seen finishing down the field in the Commonwealth Cup, but has won four of her seven career starts and connections are delighted to have Atzeni aboard as the three-year-old attempts to bounce back to her very best in the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes over a course and distance she has previously thrived.

“Andrea is a great guy and the way he’s ridden over the last couple of months is as well as he’s ever ridden. We’re very happy to have him riding on Saturday,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Marc Chan, who owns Lezoo together with Andrew Rosen.

“It’s an exciting day Saturday. There’s a couple of days we’ve wanted to run her but we didn’t want to run her back on soft ground again, we’ve just been waiting for the ground really.

“This is a good stepping stone back, she loves the course, we get her ground and she’s fine over the distance, so fingers crossed.”

Epsom trainer Adam West enjoyed a breakthrough big-race victory as Live In The Dream blazed his way to a shock Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes success at York.

The progressive four-year-old was steadily improving through the ranks this term, having started the season by winning a pair of handicaps, but he was lining up in Group One company for the very first time on the Knavesmire.

Pinging the gates and sent straight to the front in the hands of Sean Kirrane, the son of Prince Of Lir surged his way up the five-furlong track and was not for catching as defending champion and 7-5 favourite Highfield Princess tried in vein to hunt down the surprise 28-1 scorer.

It was not only a first Group One triumph, but a first Group-level victory of any kind for both West and Kirrane as they enjoyed their finest hour in one of the season’s fastest-run contests.

Kinross will go toe-to-toe with Isaac Shelby once again as he defends his Sky Bet City of York Stakes at York on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old began a four-race winning run in this contest 12 months ago, and arrives at the Knavesmire in rude health having got back to winning ways in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.

He had to knuckle down to repel the challenge laid down by Isaac Shelby on the Sussex Downs and things will be far from straightforward here as a strong cast of opponents have assembled to attempt to knock Kinross off his perch.

The Group Two event has a hefty £500,000 prize fund and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Kinross’ owner Marc Chan, believes York racecourse should be rewarded for providing such a valuable opportunity to participants.

He said: “It’s amazing that York can put up that much prize-money for a Group Two race. They deserve the race to get upgraded to a Group One when they can come up with that sort of money.

“It’s a competitive race for sure, but the win at Goodwood will have given him some confidence.

“He certainly doesn’t owe us anything right now, but as Frankie says, he’s like an ATM machine so let’s hope that will continue.

“It’s a very exciting day for Marc to have three horses (Kinross, Lezoo and Angel Bleu) of that quality running at three different meetings.”

Meanwhile Kinross’ vanquished Goodwood rival is reported to have bounced out of the Lennox Stakes in peak condition and although Isaac Shelby has already achieved a great deal in his short career to date, trainer Brian Meehan thinks the best is still to come.

He said: “He came out of Goodwood in tremendous shape and we’re very much looking forward to it.

“I guess Kinross will be the one to beat, but Sacred is in the race as well and Al Suhail, there are a number with chances and it’s quite rightly a well-supported race as it’s very valuable.

“He is in great shape, he came out of Goodwood the best he has come out any race so far and he’s really starting to mature now. Whatever ground turns up on the day isn’t going to inconvenience him and we’re very happy.”

Sacred failed to land a blow when sent off favourite for this race 12 months ago, but William Haggas’ five-year-old produced a fine effort in defeat when second in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, having elected to head here over last week’s Hungerford Stakes on account of ground conditions, connections could be left frustrated once again if forecast showers alter the state of things underfoot.

“I’m a little bit worried by the forecast of rain which wouldn’t suit her because the last time she ran at York she didn’t act on the loose surface. It would be frustrating as we had to miss Newbury,” explained Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“She’s in great form but we’re getting a little bit of a kick in the teeth every time we try to get her conditions.

“Her track record here isn’t ideal. She’s a very talented and maybe a year older she may handle things a bit better. She seems in good heart and the intention is to run, but if we had a deluge we may review it.”

Further down the field behind Sacred at Royal Ascot was Charlie Appleby’s Al Suhail who is a Group Two winner at this distance and will be suited by the return to further, while Charlie Hills’ Mutasaabeq drops back in trip having failed to sparkle in two runs since landing the Group Two bet 365 Mile earlier this term.

Olivia Maralda (fifth) and Covey (ninth) have both been on the sidelines since running in the Jersey Stakes at Ascot, with the later one of two in the race for John and Thady Gosden alongside Audience.

The son of Frankel was sent off favourite when flopping in that Group Three event at the Royal meeting, but Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, is hoping for a different outcome this time.

He said: “He’s had a nice break from Ascot, it just didn’t pan out for him that day. He went too quick, he went too free on the front end. It’s a big step into a Group Two but John and Thady are happy with him and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do over a fast seven (furlongs).

“He got too warm beforehand and Frankie (Dettori) said he just hit the gate and was running too free, hopefully we’ll be able to be a little bit more patient with him on Saturday and he’ll show up a bit better.”

Lake Forest highlighted his potential star quality when storming to Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.

William Haggas’ charge was sent off 16-1 for the Group Two contest, but he arrived at the Knavesmire with some smart form in the book having finished second to Jasour in the July Stakes earlier in the season.

Archie Watson’s Action Point had led the field along for the majority of the six-furlong event, but it was those on the near side that came to the fore in the closing stages with the son of No Nay Never and Aidan O’Brien’s Windsor Castle second Johannes Brahms bursting clear to dispute the outcome.

It was Tom Marquand’s mount who pulled out extra and powered home to score by a length from the Ballydoyle challenger, with Ralph Beckett’s King’s Gamble a further length back in third. Kylian was the strong-travelling 9-4 favourite, and while ultimately disappointing he twice found trouble in running.

It was the Somerville Lodge handler’s second juvenile winner of the week following Relief Rally’s Lowther success on Thursday and Lake Forest was cut to 10-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month.