Diego Velazquez enhanced his Classic claims with a runaway victory on his eagerly-anticipated racecourse debut at the Curragh.

A son of Frankel who cost 2.4million guineas as a yearling, Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile was already priced up for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby ahead of his first competitive outing, suggesting he has been showing plenty on the Ballydoyle gallops.

He was a 2-5 favourite to make a successful start to his career in the Bord Na Mona Recycling Irish EBF Maiden and while Ryan Moore had to niggle him along at various stages, the further Diego Velazquez went the better he looked.

Easy to pick out with a white blaze and four white socks, the youngster quickened up smartly entering the final furlong and passed the post just under five lengths clear of 80-1 shot Guildenstern, who pipped the winner’s stablemate Old Faithful to the runner-up spot by a nose.

Betfair and Paddy Power cut Diego Velazquez to 12-1 from 16-1 for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, while he is 10-1 from 14-1 for the Derby. O’Brien houses the ante-post favourite for both races in City Of Troy.

Of his latest winner, the trainer said: “We had him ready to run about a month ago and he got a little injury so we had to stop and start again. He was just ready to come racing today.

“We wanted to get him out. Ryan said he was very babyish, but he obviously has a massive engine. He doesn’t even know what he’s at yet.

“He said he only came on the bridle with 50 yards to go, he said he only realised he was racing then.

“(The blustery weather) is not ideal for a first time out two-year-old.”

Considering future plans, he added: “We felt with him at home he could go anywhere, but looking at today you’d like to give him another run somewhere before he goes for a big one.

“He was absolutely half-speeding with horses (at home) and came today and didn’t take hold of the bridle. That can happen first time. It happened to Paddington first time in Ascot last year, he never took hold of the bridle.

“He’s probably going to come on and learn a lot from it.”

O’Brien also outlined running plans for some of his other exciting juveniles.

He said: “Henry Longfellow will come here next week for the Futurity and City Of Troy will come here for the National Stakes.

“Ylang Ylang won’t come next weekend, she’ll go straight to the Moyglare.”

Tara Jones sparked a first-half burst which left Leeds Rhinos reeling as St Helens kept their grip on the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the third straight year.

In the first women’s final played at Wembley, Saints scored tries in three consecutive sets and seldom looked in danger of surrendering their advantage as they cruised to a 22-8 triumph.

Caitlin Beevers did give Leeds some degree of hope with a brilliant solo try two minutes after the interval, but a swift response from Shona Hoyle effectively sealed a second straight loss for the Rhinos.

Lois Forsell’s side had started strongly with Dannielle Anderson and Jasmine Cudjoe both held up over the line before former Saint Amy Hardcastle’s 40 metre surge was brought to an end by a last-gasp tackle by Eboni Partington.

Jones created the shift in momentum by crashing over from dummy half in the 13th minute and two minutes later, Zoe Harris sent Phoebe Hook jinking down the right wing to add Saints’ second.

Two fine conversions from Amy Taylor – the second from the touchline – extended Saints’ advantage and they extended their lead three minutes later when Chantelle Crowl’s tenacity made space for an attack which ended in Partington crossing in the corner.

Saints were scything through the Leeds defence almost at will, but the Rhinos clung on and finally got on the board in the 25th minute when Beevers sent Sophie Robinson over in the corner.

Beevers’ sensational start to the second half – when she picked up the ball on her own 30 and shrugged off a series of Saints defenders – hauled Leeds back to within eight points and suggested a significant momentum shift.

But Leeds were guilty of slacking off at a crucial moment as Shona Hoyle found it too easy to bull over on the right to land their fourth try and restore Saints’ 12-point cushion.

Despite some tricky kicking from Caitlin Casey, Leeds were unable to breach a resolute Saints rearguard and a two-point kick from Taylor in the 64th minute stretched Matty Smith’s side further out of sight.

Inspiral returns to Deauville in search of back-to-back Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois victories on Sunday.

John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old bounced back from Falmouth Stakes disappointment to add the French Group One to her CV last season and is on a similar recovery mission this time around having got bogged down in testing conditions when faced with the almighty task of toppling Paddington in the Sussex Stakes.

Despite only an 11-day turnaround from Goodwood, connections have been encouraged by reports of drying ground on the Normandy coast and are happy to give the Cheveley Park Stud-owned filly the go-ahead for the defence of her title.

“Goodwood was a sort of disappointment having been the target, but with the ground conditions she just didn’t relish that at all,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud.

“Frankie (Dettori) made his move to come to the rail and his injection of pick-up was short lived in those conditions.

“Conditions in France look to have dried up. There is a chance of a few showers, but John and Thady Gosden were happy with her after her race at Goodwood and Mrs Thompson is happy to let her go back to France for another chance at the Jacques le Marois.

“Her finest hour after Royal Ascot came there last year.”

Inspiral has often been seen at her best when kept fresh, but there appears to be few concerns about the quick return to action, with the unseasonably wet summer highlighting the importance of taking opportunities both when they arise and when conditions appear most suitable.

“I think John and Thady were happy with the fact Frankie was kind to her once her chance was gone at Goodwood,” added Richardson.

“Of course there is always a slight concern (about the quick turnaround), but we know she’s talented, she’s only had two races this year and they tell me she’s in a good place.

“There should be plenty of pace and we will let the filly do the talking. It will be nice to see her back out again and we just don’t know how the autumn is going to unfold.

“Going forward you have races like the Matron Stakes and others to consider, but you just don’t know what conditions are going to be. She was kept in training to race on and that’s where we are at this point.”

Inspiral began her season by finishing a neck second to Triple Time in the Queen Anne Stakes and the Royal Ascot champion is reported to be in good order by Kevin Ryan ahead of the rematch on French soil.

He said: “Triple Time has had a nice bit of time between Ascot and now.

“We’ve had a lovely clear run with him. He’s working nicely and we’re delighted with him going into the race.”

Triple Time is joined in the line-up by stablemate Hi Royal who placed in both the 2000 Guineas and Irish equivalent earlier in the season and now returns to a mile with cheekpieces added having disappointed over seven furlongs in the Prix Jean Prat.

“The race didn’t pan out for him the last day,” added Ryan.

“He missed the break and when cutting back to seven furlongs he couldn’t afford to do that.

“He’s back up to a mile and I’m very happy with him going into the race.”

Hi Royal is owned by Jaber Abdullah and Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for the owner, is also hoping the Kodiac colt can bounce back to his best.

He said: “To have a realistic good chance Hi Royal will have to find his form from the Irish Guineas when he was just over two and a half lengths behind Paddington.

“You just have to forgive him his last run and they are always allowed to throw the odd bad one in.

“If you totally forget that then he is a proper Group One horse and you keep your fingers crossed he will have a chance.”

The final UK-trained raider is Light Infantry who will attempt to go one better than when a neck second to Inspiral 12 months ago.

He was last seen finishing a keeping-on third in the Queen Anne and trainer David Simcock is full of admiration for his consistent Group One performer.

“He’s never done a lot wrong and circumstances haven’t seemed to work out each time,” explained the Trillium Place handler.

“But he’s a model of consistency and has run at the top level a lot of the time and we’ve always been pleased with him.

“It looks a warm event and probably a tougher race than last year if anything. He’s got a bit to find but he goes there in good order and we’ll be hopeful.”

There is a strong challenge from the home team headed by Christopher Head’s Big Rock who found just star middle-distance colt Ace Impact too good in the Prix du Jockey Club, while a few lengths further back in third at Chantilly was Marhaba Ya Sanafi.

Like Hi Royal, Marhaba Ya Sanafi is owned by Jaber Abdullah and now returns to the distance he scooped Classic honours earlier in the campaign when landing the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Robinson added: “He’s got form over a mile, but I think the French Derby is his better form. He’s obviously got a bit to find with Big Rock on that run. These races you have to be in them to win them, but it is going to be very tough.

“Big Rock I think has a great chance and if Inspiral comes back to her best she must have a great chance as well. Triple Time also looked impressive at Ascot and if he finds that form to the table he will be in with a shout as well.

“This race brings out all the top horses, but our two are there and will have some kind of shout if at the top of their game. I think they will both run good races and won’t be far away, but they are going to have to find a little bit better and improve a bit to win.”

Last year’s Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto races over a mile for the first time in over a year as he makes a belated seasonal reappearance, with his trainer Fabrice Chappet also represented by impressive Prix Jean Prat scorer Good Guess.

Andre Fabre’s Life In Motion brings Group One course and distance form to the table having been narrowly denied in the Prix Rothschild, while Jean-Claude Rouget’s Erevann and Mario Baratti’s German 2000 Guineas winner Angers add extra spice to a red-hot contest.

Frankie Dettori is set to partner Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International at York later this month.

John and Thady Gosden’s colt was a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot but will require a new rider for his next test, with Jim Crowley – retained jockey for owners Shadwell – sidelined by the suspension he incurred for his winning ride aboard Hukum in the King George.

Having enjoyed a Saturday morning spin on the five-year-old, Dettori has been booked to take over on the Knavesmire on August 23.

“John put Frankie on him this morning and said ‘I think Frankie’s the man’, so he will ride him at York,” said Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold.

“He had a sit on him this morning and seemed very happy with the horse. We’ll try and keep him in one piece and then they’ll both be reunited at York.”

Dettori does not regularly don the famous blue and white silks of the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, but Gold is delighted to have him on board.

He added: “He obviously won on Sakhee back in the day and more recently I remember him winning the Greenham at Newbury on Muhaarar (in 2015).

“He’s ridden plenty for us over the years and it will be very nice to hopefully give him a decent ride in his final year.”

Mostahdaf is the clear second-favourite for the the Juddmonte International with several bookmakers behind the the brilliant Paddington.

With last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown also in contention, a mouthwatering renewal is in store.

“It’s a fantastic race, as it should be. Let’s hope they all there in one piece,” said Gold.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has been knocked out of the National Bank Open after losing to American Tommy Paul for the second straight year in Toronto.

The Wimbledon champion, who was on a 14-match winning streak, managed to fight his way back into the contest after dropping the first set 6-3, going on to win the second set 6-4.

But Paul fought hard and dominated the net, winning 21 of a possible 23 points there, and won the last set 6-3 to send him to the semi-finals.

“I played a really good match today,” Paul told the ATP website post-match.

“You can’t start any points on your heels against him or he’ll take advantage of that.

“So you really have to go after your shots early in the rally and I was feeling really good on the first-strike tennis. That was the difference today.”

In another upset, Alex De Minaur beat world number three Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

A tough contest saw the Australian emerge victorious after two hours and two minutes with a 7-6 (7) 7-5 win.

De Minaur came back from 2-5 down in the first set to claim the opener in a tie-break and then came from a break down twice in the second to seal the match.

“I had to play some of my best tennis today, it has been a great week for me so far,” he said after the match.

“I played the right way today. I think having played him at the end of last year gave me the confidence that I had a chance. I just had to play the right way and I am extremely proud of the effort and to still be alive.”

Victory ensured De Minaur reached a first-ever Masters 1000 semi-final, where he will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final four on Saturday.

Davidovich Fokina reached the semi-finals after beating Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 6-2.

Entering Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, the last time Astros first baseman Jon Singleton homered in a major league game, the Houston franchise had not yet won a World Series and was mired in a nine-year playoff drought.

Singleton ended an eight-year span between MLB home runs with two majestic shots in the Astros' 11-3 win over the Angels.

Three days after his contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land, Singleton put Houston up 3-1 in the second inning with a three-run homer - his first in the majors since he hit one for the Astros in a 6-3 win over the Angels on July 29, 2015.

That gap of eight year and 13 days between homers was the longest stretch by an MLB position player since Rafael Belliard went 10 years and 144 days between the only two homers of his career - for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1987 and for the Atlanta Braves in 1997.

The 31-year-old Singleton, who appeared in 114 games for the Astros in 2014 and 2015 but was then out of organized baseball from 2017 until 2021, then hit a two-run blast in his second at-bat with one out in the third inning.

Justin Verlander allowed three runs and six hits while striking out seven over six innings to earn the win in his second start for the Astros since being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline. It was his 500th start, making Verlander the 50th player in MLB history to reach that milestone.

The Astros, who have won two World Series titles since 2017 and are trying to reach the playoffs for the seventh year in a row, remained 2 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West.

Mariners rout AL-best Orioles to extend season-high winning streak to eight games

The Seattle Mariners continued their winning ways this month with a 9-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles to extend their season-high winning streak to eight games.

The Mariners jumped out to a fast start with Cal Raleigh hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and Seattle blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by Julio Rodriguez's three-run blast.

Rodriguez also hit a run-scoring double for the Mariners, who are a major league-best 16-4 since July 20 and have moved within one-half game of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL's final wild-card spot.

Luis Castillo stymied Baltimore's bats, yielding just an Anthony Santander solo homer and one other hit while striking out eight over six innings. Seattle starting pitchers are 5-0 with a 1.20 ERA in the team's last five games.

The AL East-leading Orioles have lost three of four and their lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays has been trimmed to two games.

Franco's walkoff home run helps Rays escape from debacle

Wander Franco helped save the Tampa Bay Rays from a massive collapse, hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the AL wild-card leaders to a 9-8 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Franco's first career walkoff homer secured the Rays' 70th win of the season - a mark the club didn't reach last season until August 28 - and helped the team avoid an embarrassing outcome.

Tampa Bay led 8-4 before giving up one run in the top of the eighth and three more in the ninth, with all three scoring on wild pitches. And that came after closer Pete Fairbanks loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter.

Isaac Paredes gave the Rays a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning on a two-run home run to tie him with Jose Siri for the team lead with 23 home runs.

Fronco's game-ending homer was his 17th of the season, and sixth in his last 12 games. He's slashing .426/.491/.851 in those contests.

Tiger Woods won the 13th major of his career at the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Oklahoma on this day in 2007.

The world number one successfully defended his title after a final-round 69 proved enough to hold off his rivals and maintain his amazing record of having won every major in which he has led heading into the final round.

Woods began the day with a three-shot advantage over Stephen Ames but he soon disappeared from contention as Ernie Els and Woody Austin emerged as the main challengers.

The lead was up to five from Els after eight holes but a bogey at nine and a birdie for the South African at 10 cut that back to three.

However, Els bogeyed the 12th but the gap was back to three when the South African birdied the long 13th.

And when he then holed a six-footer at the next par three he was within two of Woods, with Austin moving alongside him after three birdies in a row from the turn.

Woods then bogeyed the 14th after his short putt lipped out and his advantage was just one from Austin after Els bogeyed the 16th.

Typically, however, the world number one clawed that shot back at the next with a 14-foot birdie putt.

Els finished with two pars for a final-round 66 to finish five under and when Austin failed to hole a birdie putt from long distance on the 18th he closed with a 67 to be second on six under.

That left Woods to get down in four from the middle of the 18th fairway and he found the centre of the green and two putted for his fourth US PGA victory.

Woods has since gone on to win two more majors, the 2008 US Open and his remarkable comeback victory, aged 43, at the Masters in 2019.

World number one Iga Swiatek has advanced to the semi-finals in Montreal for the first time, where she will face American Jessica Pegula.

Swiatek, who has been the top-ranked woman for 72 weeks, defeated American Danielle Collins in three sets 6-3 4-6 6-2.

Collins fought back in the second set but the Polish star took advantage of the second serve throughout the match, breaking Collins twice in the last set to seal the victory.

After the match, Swiatek said she is “really proud” to go through to the semi-finals.

“I really wanted to play powerful and I’m pretty happy that I managed to even increase the power in the third set,” she said.

“For sure, I was looking for that. Today I felt like I really needed to go even higher in terms of the intensity.”

She will face Pegula, who defeated doubles partner and American Coco Gauff to end her six-match win streak in three sets 6-2 5-7 7-5.

The marathon match lasted more than two hours with Pegula holding serve to take her through to the semis.

Pegula said after the match that she wanted to stay “as tough as possible” and “keep the pressure on early”.

“It’s always tough to play your doubles partner, you know exactly what you’re trying to do. It just came down to the wire and who was going to compete better.”

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has been knocked out of the National Bank Open after losing to American Tommy Paul for the second straight year in Toronto.

Alcaraz, who was on a 14-match winning streak, managed to fight his way back into the contest after dropping the first set 6-3, going on to win the second set 6-4.

But Paul fought hard and dominated the net, winning 21 of a possible 23 points there, taking out the last set 6-3 to send him to the semi-finals.

“I played a really good match today,” Paul told the ATP website post-match.

“You can’t start any points on your heels against him or he’ll take advantage of that.

“So you really have to go after your shots early in the rally and I was feeling really good on the first-strike tennis. That was the difference today.”

In another upset, Alex De Minaur beat world number three Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

A tough contest saw the Australian emerge victorious after two hours and two minutes with a 7-6 (7) 7-5 win.

De Minaur came back from 2-5 down in the first set to claim the opener in a tie-break and then came from a break down twice in the second to seal the match.

“I had to play some of my best tennis today, it has been a great week for me so far,” he said after the match.

“I played the right way today. I think having played him at the end of last year gave me the confidence that I had a chance. I just had to play the right way and I am extremely proud of the effort and to still be alive.”

Victory ensured De Minaur reached a first-ever Masters 1000 semi-final, where he will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final four on Saturday.

Davidovich Fokina reached the semi-finals after beating Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 6-2.

Anthony Joshua will try to ignore speculation and comparisons with Deontay Wilder when he steps into the ring to face Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.

Helenius was only drafted in at the 11th hour when original opponent Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Assocation (VADA), but it has added further intrigue with Wilder’s shadow looming over the Briton.

The talk surrounding Joshua, like for many of his recent fights, is about what next and talks between his camp and Wilder’s team continue over a proposed clash at the end of this year or at the start of 2024.

An eagerly-anticipated future bout between two former world heavyweight champions will only happen if Joshua shuts out the noise to do the business against Helenius, who suffered a first-round knock-out to Wilder in October.

“I have to ignore it. It is one step at a time,” Joshua insisted when asked about ex-WBC belt holder Wilder.

“When I fought Jason Gavern, I knocked him out, Wilder took longer. When I fought Eric Molina, I knocked him out in three and Wilder took nine rounds.

“There will always be comparisons. This is my own fight with Helenius, no-one else’s. I can’t fail.”

Joshua repeated the same sentiments before a laboured display on his way to a unanimous points victory against Jermaine Franklin in April, which got the Finchley boxer back on the comeback trail, but his preparation for this 29th contest of his career has been far from ideal.

Last weekend, Joshua trained knowing it could all be for nothing after he discovered on Saturday morning that Whyte had been pulled from the show but Friday’s fiery weigh-in exchange with Helenius showed he is locked in.

Joshua tipped the scales at 17st and 12lbs, while Helenius was a pound lighter, before the duo exchanged words – with the British heavyweight inviting his veteran opponent to fight there and then instead of 24 hours later if he wished.

Joshua admitted: “There was one session where I was like, ‘what are we training for?’ We trained on Saturday and maybe then I felt what am I training for, but we just had to flip the coin.

“I could spend more time complaining about it, due to this late replacement whoever it might be, but I couldn’t put my energy into complaining. I had to change the script.”

Joshua, who reached the pinnacle of the sport with a victory over Wladimir Klitschko at a sold-out Wembley in 2017, still believes he can become world champion again but Helenius, who should be on a family holiday in Lapland after he beat Mika Mielonen inside a 15th-century castle in Finland last weekend, has other ideas.

Helenius added: “I can’t compare him to Wilder. I have also been sparring before with David Haye, I have been sparring the Klitschkos, both of them, I have been sparring Tyson Fury, Wilder.

“I have even been sparring Joshua when he was going against Klitschko so I have been a long time in this game.

“He is a tough guy. I think we went eight-round sessions. It was pretty close. Hard-hitter, good technicals, a little bit robotic but his last fight, he made a good fight against Jermaine.

“I haven’t been in the ring for a while with him but now is the best time to win.

“Nobody will remember a coward.”

A heated weigh-in on Friday further demonstrated Anthony Joshua’s laser focus on Robert Helenius despite a potential bout with Deontay Wilder looming in the background.

Joshua and Helenius took part in an intense staredown at Westfields in Shepherds Bush after they both tipped the scales just shy of 18 stone ahead of Saturday’s fight at the O2 Arena in London.

Helenius was only drafted in at the 11th hour when original opponent Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Assocation (VADA) and while the Finnish boxer ensured the show would still go on, his aim now is to throw a spanner in the works for the home favourite.

The talk surrounding Joshua, like for many of his recent fights, is about what next and talks between his camp and Wilder’s team continue over a proposed clash at the end of this year or at the start of 2024.

An eagerly-anticipated future bout between two former world heavyweight champions will only happen if Joshua shuts out comparisons with Wilder to do the business against Helenius, who suffered a first-round knock-out to the American in October.

“I have to ignore it. It is one step at a time,” Joshua insisted when asked about ex-WBC belt holder Wilder.

“When I fought Jason Gavern, I knocked him out, Wilder took longer. When I fought Eric Molina, I knocked him out in three and Wilder took nine rounds.

“There will always be comparisons. This is my own fight with Helenius, no-one else’s. I can’t fail.”

Joshua has carried that win-at-all-costs mentality for a number of years, but it failed to prevent a shock loss in 2019 to Andy Ruiz Jr – who was also a late replacement for Jarrell Miller following a failed drugs test – and consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

A laboured display on his way to a unanimous points victory against Jermaine Franklin in April got the Finchley boxer back on the comeback trail, but his preparation for this 29th contest of his career has been far from ideal.

Last weekend, Joshua trained knowing it could all be for nothing after he discovered on Saturday morning that Whyte had been pulled from the show but Friday’s fiery exchange with Helenius showed he is locked in.

Joshua tipped the scales at 17st and 12lbs, while Helenius was a pound lighter, before the duo exchanged words – with the British heavyweight inviting his veteran opponent to fight there and then instead of 24 hours later if he wished.

Even though Joshua will no longer being going head-to-head with old rival Whyte, he is adamant no stone has been left unturned during this second camp with trainer Derrick James.

He admitted: “There was one session where I was like, ‘what are we training for?’ We trained on Saturday and maybe then I felt what am I training for, but we just had to flip the coin.

“I could spend more time complaining about it, due to this late replacement whoever it might be, but I couldn’t put my energy into complaining. I had to change the script, change the screensaver on my phone.

“It’s me and (Wladimir) Klitschko now. Before it was me and Dillian at the weigh-in. I just wanted to visualise what my life’s focused on at the minute.”

Victory over Klitschko at a sold-out Wembley in 2017 helped Joshua reach the pinnacle of the sport and despite recent setbacks against Usyk, he is confident another shot at a world title will present itself.

Given Joshua turns 34 in October, it needs to be sooner rather than later, but he remains comfortable in his own skin after becoming only the ninth British heavyweight to become world champion – via a short spell in prison after a teenage life embroiled in drugs and crime in England’s capital.

“Can I be champion again? Yeah. Definitely. I don’t think it’s that hard to fight for one belt, but it’s challenging to unify that’s hard. The accumulation of belts takes years,” Joshua reflected.

“I was the champion. When you’re a champion, it’s deserved and I’m not the champion any more. It’s natural.

“It’s a building process. So, it’s back to the O2 and travelling around, hopefully fighting in different arenas, maybe Manchester (Arena) next.

“Once I fight the right people we could easily go back to a stadium. You know who these names are.

“Everyone loves a winner. Losers, especially in boxing, get no credibility. I never looked at it being about me. ‘Oh they love me’. No, they just loved the belt.

“I worked hard outside boxing to build my brand. I always believed it’s never just about boxing. You can’t let boxing define you. There has to be more to you.

“I thought I will always have my own identity as a person before I am identified as a champion.”

Warnie continued his rise through the ranks with a decisive victory in the Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes at Tipperary.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained colt made his racecourse bow at Royal Ascot in the Chesham Stakes, where he was a creditable ninth at 40-1, before readily landing the odds in a Bellewstown maiden.

Sent on his way at 9-2 for this step up to Listed class, Dylan Browne McMonagle’s mount broke well before taking an ideal position just off the pace set by Courageous Strike.

He edged to the lead after straightening for home and while 4-5 favourite Deepone had travelled nicely and looked a threat, Paddy Twomey’s previously unbeaten runner could not quite get on terms with the winner, who had three-parts of a length in hand at the line.

McMonagle – who enjoyed a winner for Ireland in the Racing League at Chepstow on Thursday evening – said: “He’s a lovely colt and keeps on improving. The pace was steady and it got a bit messy off the bend and I got a bump.

“It took a little while to get him organised in the straight, but he picked up really well when I got after him and wasn’t for stopping.

“He’s not slow and he stays well which is really nice to see. He gets through that ground well, but is a good mover and could be even better on top of the ground.”

American Ally Ewing admitted she had been inspired by Brian Harman’s Open triumph as she mirrored his progress towards a maiden major title in the AIG Women’s Open.

Ewing, who held a one-shot lead following an opening 68 completed late on Thursday, was among the early starters on Friday and stormed clear of the field with a birdie on the third and four in a row from the sixth to be out in 30.

The 30-year-old from Mississippi also picked up further shots on the 11th and 16th before dropping her only shot of the day on the last to complete a superb 66 at Walton Heath.

At 10 under par Ewing enjoyed a five-shot lead over compatriot Andrea Lee, home favourite Charley Hull and Japan’s Minami Katsu, with South Korea’s Kim Hyo-Joo, Lilia Vu, Alison Lee and Gaby Lopez all on four under.

The similarities with Harman’s victory at Royal Liverpool were hard to ignore, with Harman leading by five at halfway on 10 under, maintaining his advantage following the third round and eventually winning by six.

Ewing also revealed she shared Harman’s much-publicised passion for hunting, along with a nickname for their different college teams.

“He’s a bulldog but he’s a Georgia bulldog,” Ewing said. “I’m a Mississippi State Bulldog. I guess we have that in common.

“But yeah, it’s pretty cool, southern guy, I’m southern, just a little Mississippi girl. It is inspiring, what he did.

“I actually do some hunting. I know that’s probably not going to be interpreted well by the media but I do, yes. For the most part my family, my husband and I, we do mostly deer hunting, so venison.”

Asked what it would mean to win a maiden major title this weekend, Ewing added: “It would be huge. It’s something I’ve obviously circled as something I want to accomplish in my career.

“I’ve had possible chances to do that, I’ve been in the last group, so for me it’s just going to be (about) leaning on that a little bit as well as leaning on the confidence I have in my game right now.”

Hull followed an opening 71 with four birdies in a flawless second round of 68 as she overcame the changeable conditions for the afternoon starters.

“It was quite tricky out there today,” Hull said. “It was a bit windy, a bit rainy, we had a bit of all the four seasons out there.

“But I’m pretty happy and it was good to finish with a few birdies coming in. It was quite hard to hit it close to the pins because it was windy and I’m hitting a bit of a draw at the minute.

“But I’m happy how I hit it off the tee and holed some long putts and I’m buzzing for the next few rounds.”

Vu won the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, in April, but a tie for 35th in last week’s Scottish Open is her best finish in a strokeplay event since then.

“I feel like post-Chevron Championship I’ve been struggling a little bit and to finally, hopefully, be in contention by the end of today just feels really rewarding,” Vu said.

“I think every time I get in my own way, it’s when I’m too focused on winning.

“But if I just focus on playing my game then I’m in a good position to try and win instead of just getting really upset if I mess up on a hole, and I did that last week.

“I got upset when I was playing well, and then just couldn’t hold it together after because I thought it was just over. And I’m just trying to be in a better mindset this week.”