Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington will clash in an all-British world featherweight title fight at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on October 7.

The 34-year-old Wood will put his WBA version of the title on the line against Leeds favourite Warrington, who is looking to bounce back after losing his IBF crown to Luis Alberto Lopez in December.

The Nottingham fighter, who gained revenge over Mauricio Lara to reclaim his crown in May, believes the bout is one of the biggest all-British offerings currently in the sport.

Wood said: “In terms of the followings we’ve got, the football clubs and the cities, this is arguably the biggest British rivalry in the sport.

“For me, it doesn’t really get any bigger. Our styles will gel and that should make for a very exciting and entertaining fight.

“Josh has some great wins on his record and is obviously a two-time world champion, but this is a fight that he cannot lose.”

Warrington believes he has been written off by Wood following his loss to Lopez – his first career defeat at his Leeds base – and is eager to seize the opportunity to move back into major unification bouts.

“I’m obsessed in becoming a three-weight world champion, to get back on top and that is going to show on the night,” said Warrington.

A series of further tweaks to the whip rules have been announced by the British Horseracing Authority.

Regulations concerning the use of the whip underwent major changes earlier this year, with the numbers of strikes allowed in Flat and jumps races reduced to six and seven respectively, with a tougher penalty structure for those in breach, including doubled suspensions for major races and disqualification in the most serious of cases.

The changes have resulted in some high-profile casualties, with both Frankie Dettori and Oisin Murphy handed eight-day bans at Royal Ascot, which saw Dettori forfeit his final chance to win the July Cup – the only British Group One he has not claimed – ahead of his retirement at the end of the year.

The BHA recently completed a six-month review of the whip rules, penalty structure and process alongside the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and a group of senior jockeys, with further refinement of the rules now agreed.

If a Flat rider uses their whip once above the permitted level, the minimum penalty of four days may now be reduced to three days if they have had 100 or more British rides since a previous offence, or two days if they have had 200 or more rides.

Over jumps, it is 75 or more rides to gain a one-day reduction and 150 or more rides to qualify for a two-day cut.

Races which incur a double penalty have also been revised and will now apply to all class one races and any class two contest with total prize money of £150,000 or more, or any class two race restricted to apprentices, conditionals or amateur jockeys only.

Possible offences are currently assessed by the Whip Review Committee on Tuesdays and Fridays, but riders who go one above the threshold will have the option of the raceday stewards dealing with any potential breach rather than waiting for the WRC, although they would not be able to appeal any decision.

The WRC will also be limited to a seven-day window to review a possible contravention of the rules, unless a potential disqualification is involved.

Four offences of use above the permitted level in a six-month period will now result in a referral under the ‘totting up’ procedure, while the top end of the penalty range had been reduced from six months to four. It will remain the case that a rider will be referred to the BHA’s judicial panel if they commit five offences of any type in a six-month period.

Sam Angell, chair of the WRC, said: “These changes reflect an ongoing process to improve the new whip rules and penalties, while retaining the original objectives, which are to ensure more judicious use of the whip for encouragement, improve the perceptions of whip use and ensure that the outcomes of races are fair.

“The BHA remains extremely grateful to the PJA and the senior riders who have engaged so constructively with this process. This dialogue will remain ongoing.”

Data released by the BHA shows that in the last six months in a total of 37,428 rides, 425 cases were referred to the WRC with 360 breaches – equating to less than one per cent of rides.

Angell added: “We continue to see a reduction in the rate of offences, which is a testament to the measures being taken by the jockeys as they continue to adapt to the new rules, for which they deserve great credit.”

Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami was given the nod over stable companion and fellow Royal Ascot winner Gregory due to the likelihood of soft ground in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

Both horses are owned by Wathnan Racing and connections had considered taking advantage of the three-year-old weight allowance with Gregory, rather than running the four-year-old Courage Mon Ami.

However, the recent wet weather caused a rethink and it is Courage Mon Ami of the John and Thady Gosden-trained duo who will aim to maintain his unbeaten record.

“John was keen to train both him and Gregory for the race and soft ground or probable soft ground swayed the decision towards running Courage Mon Ami, while Gregory will now take a different route, with his main aim being the St Leger,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners.

“Frankie (Dettori) will ride and he’s drawn five. He’s back in trip but he won there impressively before the Gold Cup and we know he handles the track. I don’t think it will be a problem coming back to two miles, it was always the question before Ascot if he would he stay two and a half.

“The horse is in good form and he did his last piece of work on Friday and both John and Thady were delighted with him.”

One horse who will certainly not be inconvenienced by any further rain is Aidan O’Brien’s Emily Dickinson.

Only fourth in the Gold Cup, she subsequently won the Curragh Cup over 14 furlongs.

“Emily Dickinson came out of the Curragh very well. Ryan (Moore) was happy with her and felt she won very easily. She is a filly we really fancied for the Gold Cup. She ran a good race and came out of it well,” said O’Brien.

“She loved the ease in the ground at the Curragh. She comes out of races on fast ground perfectly, which suggests it does not bother her, but she appears much better with an ease in the ground. It hinders other horses, whereas she appears to grow another leg on soft ground.

“Since the Goodwood Cup has been upgraded to a Group One, it has been brilliant. It is a very prestigious race and a unique race because two miles on the Goodwood track is very different. It is a difficult race to win, but we always try to have a horse that is good enough to win it.”

O’Brien also runs Broome, the mount of William Buick.

One who bypassed Ascot in preference for this is Marco Botti’s Giavellotto, the Yorkshire Cup winner.

“He won well at York and it has always been the plan to skip the Gold Cup at Ascot and go to Goodwood for the Goodwood Cup,” said Botti.

“He is well and his prep has gone to plan, we think he is fit and he looks in good order. We know he stays and we’re looking forward to it.

“Two miles is not an issue but we felt the Ascot Gold Cup may have stretched him a little bit. He settles well and he looks a stronger horse than last year.

“I just worry about the ground, I hope it will be nice ground for everyone and not extremes. Good to soft would be what he wants.

“Goodwood is a track he has never run at before, but hopefully he handles the undulations. You have to respect the opposition because it’s a competitive field and a strong race, but we are going there with the horse in really good nick and we can only hope for a good run.”

Andrew Balding’s Coltrane was beaten three-quarters of a length when second in the Gold Cup and Oisin Murphy is another who feels the return to two miles will be in his favour.

“I was obviously gutted to get beat on Coltrane in the Gold Cup and he has come out of Ascot very well,” said Murphy, ahead of another leg in the British Champions Series.

“He’s a very good horse and I hope he’s as good here as he was at Ascot. All the signs at home are positive and I think this two miles will suit him better than the two and a half at Ascot.

“I don’t think the quick ground was a problem in the Gold Cup as he obviously let himself down on it, but we know from his past form that he enjoys some dig in the ground, so that’s a plus for him.”

Last year’s St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov, Quickthorn and Tashkhan are also running.

Stars of the future have invariably cut their teeth in the Nicholson Gin Vintage Stakes and Haatem will be out to justify Richard Hannon’s faith in a strong renewal at Goodwood on Tuesday.

A close-up fifth to River Tiber in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, he then bumped into another smart Aidan O’Brien colt when stepped up to seven furlongs in the Superlative at Newmarket.

City Of Troy catapulted to the head of next season’s 2000 Guineas market following that six-and-a-half-length success over Haatem.

Hannon feels the easier surface he is expected to face at Goodwood could play to the strengths of the Phoenix Of Spain colt in the Group Two contest.

He said: “He keeps bumping into those O’Brien horses and I think he has a very good chance.

“If it is soft ground, I think he’ll like it. He showed he can handle good to soft at Newmarket. I like his chance at Goodwood.

“He ran well behind in the Superlative and he ran well in the Coventry, and he’s done everything we’ve asked of him, so it would be good to see him produce what we think he’s capable of tomorrow.”

Hannon is double-handed in the race with Son and added: “He ran all right in the Superlative (fifth), but this looks a tougher spot for him and you wouldn’t be too confident in such a competitive race.”

Haatem, who will be ridden by Sean Levey, is the most experienced of the nine runners in the seven-furlong juvenile contest with five runs already under his belt.

Iberian and Witness Stand are the least experienced having won on their respective debuts for Charlie Hills and Tom Clover.

Iberian looked potentially smart when he scored with ease – beating a couple of subsequent winners – over an extended six furlongs in a Newbury novice.

Richard Ryan, racing manager for Teme Valley, who co-own the Lope De Vega colt with Ballylinch Stud, said: “It’s a considerably large step up in class. We’re hopeful we have a nice horse and this race will answer a lot of questions.

“The form (of his Newbury win) I suppose is a mixed bag from those behind, but you can only beat what’s with you and he sort of put them to bed quite convincingly. He seems to have thrived since and we are hopeful.

“He is an impressive horse at home and Charlie is having a great season with his two-year-olds. He looks to have a number of promising horses, so we are in the slightly excited camp until proven otherwise.”

Iberian missed the Superlative at Newmarket when withdrawn because of soft ground.

Ryan added: “It was a tough decision. The ground was quite chewed and it was getting loose and wet and a bit used at the time.

“Although it is probably going to be wet at Goodwood, it’s unwatered and well maintained for this meeting, and probably with it being the first day, it won’t have the same issues the July Course had at the time with conditions in the pouring rain.”

Frankie Dettori, riding at his last Goodwood Festival, will partner the Richard Fahey-trained Golden Mind, winner of a Leicester six-furlong maiden in May, before going down by three-quarters of a length in the Chesham at Royal Ascot.

The Musley Bank handler feels Dettori’s experience could help the colt’s development.

He said: “He’s a horse that is improving the whole time, he’s a bit of a laid-back character and with racing he’s going to get better.

“He’s a slow-learning horse who will improve with racing and he’s getting stronger as well.

“He’s in good order and I would love Frankie to ride me a winner before he retires, he’s a legend. It would be fantastic if he could and it would be great if it could be this one.”

A Norfolk Stakes fifth on his penultimate start, Amo Racing’s Thunder Blue was subsequently back up to six furlongs at Newmarket, where he was fourth to Jasour in the Group Two July Stakes.

His sole success in four starts came on his second run, when landing a novice at the Sussex Downs track.

“He is a Goodwood winner over six furlongs and although he has plenty of tactical speed, we just feel he would be better suited by stepping up to seven,” said trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis.

“He will be able to get a tow into the race.

“He jumped a bit sharp at Ascot and he probably got racing a bit early at Newmarket also, so hopefully at Goodwood he can get a lead and then produce a turn of foot at the end of the race.

“He was very good when he won there and it turned out to be not a bad race. The runner-up got the job done well enough next time and I think it was a strong enough contest. We’ve always thought he was very good and I think seven furlongs may just play to his strengths.

“We wouldn’t want too much rain as that might make it too much of a test of stamina, but I think if it is good to soft it would be perfect for him.”

Kinross returns to his optimum trip with connections confident he can reclaim his World Pool Lennox Stakes crown at Goodwood on Tuesday.

Few trainers head to the Sussex Downs with their team in better form than Ralph Beckett, who has been operating at a 30 per cent strike-rate in recent weeks.

And Kinross lines up against seven rivals in the seven-furlong Group Two contest, a race he won two years ago and finished a neck second to Sandrine last year, with a favourite’s chance.

He has won his last three over the trip, including the Prix de la Foret, and is a dual top-level winner following last term’s British Champions Sprint success.

The consistent Kingman gelding, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, went close to making it a hat-trick of Group One victories with a close-up third to Shaquille in the July Cup at Newmarket last time.

“He is a year older now, but he was unlucky not to win it last year and he did win it the year before, so it looks a great spot to get back to winning ways,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan.

“There is no doubt this is his best distance. He likes the course and he’s justifiably the favourite, even though that doesn’t mean he will win the race.”

This will be the first opportunity for three-year-old Isaac Shelby to take on his elders.

The Brian Meehan-trained Night Of Thunder colt, who is in receipt of 6lb from Kinross and 9lb from Al Suhail, won the Superlative last season and the Greenham on his first run this term over the same distance.

Upped to a mile, he was beaten a short neck in the French 2000 Guineas, before being a little too keen on quicker ground when a well-held fourth to Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He’s back to seven (furlongs) and hopefully that will see him in his best light,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.

“It’s a tight, competitive race and Kinross will be tough to beat. But the horse is in great form and we’re looking forward to it.

“He got lit up and things didn’t really go to plan at Ascot. I’m not trying to use an excuse and saying he would have won there, but back in trip and back in grade here, he should be thereabouts.”

Connections of top weight Al Suhail will keep a close eye on the weather before deciding whether he will run.

A five-time winner over the trip, he was third in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night before a creditable sixth in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Charlie Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Al Suhail has come out of Ascot well, although he has a penalty here for his win in the Al Fahidi Fort.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him back over seven, which is probably his best trip, and the course at Goodwood might suit.

“We will be keeping an eye on the weather as his participation would be in doubt if there was significant rain.”

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Audience has won twice since being gelded and followed up a Leicester success in October with a two-length win in the Group Three Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on his seasonal bow.

Chris Richardson, managing director of owner Cheveley Park Stud, said: “This race is the natural progression really and he came out of the Newmarket race well.

“He has not been straightforward, but gelding seems to have worked and we are now seeing what we were seeing on the gallops, but not on the racecourse.

“He was just not performing on the track as we thought he would and should have been. It was just one of those rather frustrating things, but it was lovely to see him bounce back and follow up the previous win with such an emphatic success.”

National Hunt racing is to return to Windsor, the venue’s owner Arena Racing Company has announced.

The track staged jump racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to host a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.

It is hoped the first meetings will take place during the 2024-25 season with December 15, 2024 earmarked for the first action.

Windsor will not see an increase in its number of net fixtures, however, with the new jump cards switched from traditional Flat meetings in April and October.

To facilitate the return of National Hunt racing, the track will be 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.

“We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Royal Windsor racecourse, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024,” said Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division.

“Whilst the racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe that the plans that we have put together with the British Horseracing Authority will mean that the small number of fixtures that we would like to host will sit well alongside the long established, popular summer Flat programme.

“A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Royal Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe that it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Royal Windsor, whilst not impacting on the Flat programme, which is an important consideration.

“The proximity to the River Thames gives the track excellent drainage, and our records show that the racecourse very rarely ran jumps fixtures on heavy ground, with the majority of abandonments coming due to frost.

“Happily, turf management techniques have developed significantly since that time, so we are confident of providing excellent jumping ground for the fixtures that we would like to host in 2024 and 2025 and beyond.”

The Juddmonte International and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remain on the agenda for Pyledriver after finishing fifth in defence of his King George crown at Ascot on Saturday.

Following a successful return from 11 months on the sidelines in the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting in June, hopes were high ahead of William Muir and Chris Grassick’s stable star’s bid for back-to-back wins in a spectacular renewal of the track’s midsummer highlight.

Pyledriver ultimately came up short, beaten just under nine lengths into fifth place as Hukum denied Westover in a thrilling finish, but Muir is far from downbeat.

“It was a great race and I’m not going to change my opinion, he’s going to go for the same races we had targeted for him before Saturday,” he said.

“Don’t take anything away from the winner and the second because they ran great races. PJ (McDonald, jockey) said if he had a perfect run he could have been a little bit closer, but that was all.

“I said before the race the worst thing that can happen is we get beat and we’ll go on and go forwards.

“The best sportsmen in the world have been beaten before now and they come back again. He’s fine, he’s in good shape and took his race lovely, so that is all we need.

“It’s the same plan as it was – he’ll go for the Juddmonte International or the September Stakes, but I would think probably the Juddmonte, then the Arc.”

Vincent Ho will miss a planned trip to the UK following a fall in Japan on Saturday.

Ho was due to ride at Goodwood and in Ascot’s Shergar Cup competition, but he sustained a fractured T5 vertebrae and concussion in an incident at Niigata racecourse over the weekend.

A real superstar in the Far East, Ho is perhaps best know for his association with Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty.

Ho posted on social media: “Mixed emotions for these couple of days. Unlucky with the terrible fall in Niigata on Saturday, cost couple of winners on Sunday and most importantly the UK trip I’ve been looking forward to since last year.

“But I’m very grateful and lucky to be alive and only sustained a fractured T5 and concussion, as everyone said “it could’ve been worse.” Thank you to @HKJC_Racing who have always supported me even when I’m racing abroad, and @JRA_WorldRacing for helping me to go through all the processes now.

“Also would like to say a big thank you to @Goodwood_Races, @Ascot Shergar Cup, trainers especially @Johnston_Racing who has sponsored me, supported me always and owners for the opportunities, allowing me to ride in these amazing events. I have been so close and I wish to come back and do it next year.

“Lastly I would love to say thank you to all my friends, family, fans and everyone who has messaged me. Love you all. It’s now time to recover and come back stronger.”

Lewis Hamilton’s “frustrated and confused” Mercedes team are in survival mode, leading Formula One pundit Martin Brundle has claimed.

Hamilton finished fourth, two places ahead of team-mate George Russell, at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrapped up his eighth straight win.

Although Mercedes are second in the constructors’ championship heading into the sport’s summer break, Hamilton appears no closer to ending his 35-race losing streak.

The seven-time world champion was also dealt a major blow in Spa-Francorchamps after an upgrade – which included new sidepods and a revised floor – appeared to contribute to the return of porpoising.

Speaking after the race, Hamilton said his Mercedes was bouncing “everywhere” and said the sensation was reminiscent of last year’s car – a machine which carried him to the poorest championship finishing position of his career.

“Mercedes will be very frustrated,” said Brundle, 64. “Their car is on a knife edge to set up, to understand and to drive.

“They are surviving the season, as they did last year, and making the best of a bad situation because they are a great team.

“But I would imagine they are confused with this car. They promise a great result, get something special, then go to the next race with upgrades and fall off the pace.”

Mercedes have claimed just one victory in the past 19 months. Their poor form is a far cry from the dominance which saw them secure an unprecedented eight consecutive constructors’ titles.

And Russell revealed the Brackley team have been drawing creativity from their once all-conquering machines.

“We are working really hard on the characteristics for next yea, and we are looking a lot at how the previous generation of cars were for Mercedes, the glory years, and using that as inspiration,” said Russell.

“Clearly they were some of the best cars in history. So that is giving us some pointers of where we need to aim for.

“I am sure we will be strong in the second half of the season. We have some little things coming after the break and I am confident we will secure second in the team championship and close the gap to Red Bull.”

Paddington will bid to register a fourth Group One in a row when he takes on Inspiral in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington began the season in handicap company but has progressed to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Coral-Eclipse.

His most recent victory came over 10 furlongs but he will drop back down to a mile this week to take on John and Thady Gosden’s three-time Group One winner.

Inspiral was beaten by Triple Time on her only outing to date this season in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but will be looking to give Frankie Dettori another big win in his final season.

A field of six has been declared with William Haggas’ Aldaary, Richard Hannon’s Chindit, Roger Varian’s Charyn and the French challenger Facteur Cheval completing the line-up.

Royal Ascot winner Big Evs faces off against Karl Burke’s speedy Kylian in a fascinating clash in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes.

Big Evs, trained by Mick Appleby, was a surprise winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes but there did not appear to be any fluke about his three-length success, while Kylian has won his last two races by an aggregate of 10 lengths after two short priced defeats earlier in the season.

Hannon’s Baheer and Clive Cox’s Shagraan are also among a field of eight.

Sixteen fillies and mares have been declared for the Group Three Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes.

Leading contenders include the Karl Burke-trained Fast Response and Jumbly from Joseph O’Brien’s yard.

Northumberland Plate hero Calling The Wind will head to the Sussex Downs on Friday for the £75,000 Coral Goodwood Handicap ahead of a potential Ebor tilt.

Richard Hughes has identified Goodwood’s two-and-a-half-mile contest – which he won two years ago – as a springboard to York as he bids to follow up success in the Pitmen’s Derby.

Calling The Wind gained just reward at Newcastle following near-misses in the Cesarewitch, Queen Alexandra (twice) and the Ascot Stakes, handing the former jockey his biggest success to date as a trainer.

Hughes was not present at Gosforth Park to see Neil Callan produce a superbly-timed ride on the all-too-often luckless seven-year-old, but watched on from home with delight.

“Neil gave him a good ride. I was watching him on my phone and he got to the furlong pole and I thought, ‘he’s run great again, but he’s always placed and never wins’,” said the three-times champion jockey.

“You need to ride him to get beat – and he put it in at the death.”

Six wins and eight runner-up finishes in 35 races have contributed to earnings of £262,000 for owner Jo Wakefield, and Hughes is keen to target the £300,000 to the winner Sky Bet Ebor next month, where victory would earn automatic entry to the Melbourne Cup.

“He is going to end up in the Ebor, but we are going to go to Goodwood if the ground is good,” added Hughes.

“He has 9st 5lb in the Ebor and if he won at Goodwood, he’d get a small penalty. We can’t give up Goodwood then the ground be fast at York.

“There’s plenty of money up for grabs and the timing between Goodwood and York is great. It’s perfect.

“He is in great form and it looks like the ground will be in his favour.”

Carlos De Oliveira, an employee of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, is expected to make his first court appearance on charges of scheming to hide security footage from investigators.

The estate’s property manager was added to the federal indictment of Mr Trump and his former valet Walt Nauta last week.

The case alleges a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at the Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.

Mr De Oliveira, who faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators, is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami on Monday nearly two months after the former president pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

Prosecutors have not alleged security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators. An attorney for Mr De Oliveira declined to comment on the allegations last week.

Mr Trump was informed by letter that he is the target of another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election.

He has denied any wrongdoing over the Mar-a-Lago security tapes and said they were voluntarily handed over to investigators, posting on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form”.

Mr Nauta has also pleaded not guilty.

US district judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial to begin in May and it is unclear whether the addition of Mr De Oliveira to the case may alter the case’s timeline.

The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges Mr Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents he took with him after he left the White House.

He was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defence information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect.

Prosecutors allege Mr De Oliveira lied in interviews with investigators, claiming he had not even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago.