Flanker Lewis Ludlam says England’s players are self-policing the consumption of sweet treats in a bid to be in peak condition for a shot at World Cup glory.

Steve Borthwick’s preliminary squad are in the midst of preparations for the tournament in France, which kicks off in just seven weeks’ time.

Players were last week put through their paces in the heat of Italy before returning to home soil to continue building towards next month’s four warm-up fixtures.

Northampton captain Ludlam revealed diet rules and weight monitoring have been relaxed slightly since head coach Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones.

Yet, after exclaiming he had not “seen cake in weeks” after spotting a buffet at the team’s Surrey training base, the 27-year-old insists players are not allowing each other to give in to temptation.

“The regime has changed in that it’s not as much forced upon you – you’ve got the trust to do everything the right way so we are in the best position to go and put ourselves in the best spot this World Cup,” he said.

“There’s a general feeling amongst the squad that we’ve got to be on the money and making sure we’re making decisions so we are better rugby players the next week and the next month.

“It is a good group of lads and we keep each other in check.

“There might be a birthday cake here and there but I think the lads are pretty understanding of what’s ahead of us.

“In the grand scheme of things, it is a short time in our career when we can be really on it to give ourselves the chance of creating some really special memories.”

England take on Wales home and away in early August and then face Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin and Fiji at Twickenham before heading to France to begin their Pool D campaign against Argentina on September 9 in Marseille.

Borthwick’s appointment last December led to Saints star Ludlam being surrounded at Test level by a management team previously in charge of his club’s fierce rivals Leicester.

The 19-cap back-row forward initially found it strange setting aside hostilities and having old enemies as allies.

But he believes the England setup – led by former Tigers coaches Borthwick, Richard Wigglesworth, Aled Walters, Kevin Sinfield and Tom Harrison – is beginning to feel like a club environment.

“It was weird to get over in the beginning, especially Tom, who obviously loves Leicester and having been up against him a few times,” said Ludlam.

“Now, because we’ve been in camp for a long period of time – we don’t normally get this long period without games – it’s starting to feel like a club coming together rather than an international team where you’re only in for six weeks or whatever.

“It’s starting to come together really nicely into one unit.”

England’s final 33-man World Cup selection is due to be announced on August 7.

Injured quintet Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Ollie Lawrence, Ollie Chessum and Jack Walker, who were not included in Borthwick’s initial 41-strong training squad, are continuing their rehabilitation.

“They’re good, they’re on their programmes and working extremely hard to get themselves ready,” said scrum coach Harrison.

“Everyone’s got different timescales but they’re doing their best to be available.”

Flanker Lewis Ludlam says England’s players are self-policing the consumption of sweet treats in a bid to be in peak condition for a shot at World Cup glory.

Steve Borthwick’s preliminary squad are in the midst of preparations for the tournament in France, which kicks off in just seven weeks’ time.

Players were last week put through their paces in the heat of Italy before returning to home soil to continue building towards next month’s four warm-up fixtures.

Northampton captain Ludlam revealed diet rules and weight monitoring have been relaxed slightly since head coach Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones.

Yet, after exclaiming he had not “seen cake in weeks” after spotting a buffet at the team’s Surrey training base, the 27-year-old insists players are not allowing each other to give in to temptation.

“The regime has changed in that it’s not as much forced upon you – you’ve got the trust to do everything the right way so we are in the best position to go and put ourselves in the best spot this World Cup,” he said.

“There’s a general feeling amongst the squad that we’ve got to be on the money and making sure we’re making decisions so we are better rugby players the next week and the next month.

“It is a good group of lads and we keep each other in check.

“There might be a birthday cake here and there but I think the lads are pretty understanding of what’s ahead of us.

“In the grand scheme of things, it is a short time in our career when we can be really on it to give ourselves the chance of creating some really special memories.”

England take on Wales home and away in early August and then face Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin and Fiji at Twickenham before heading to France to begin their Pool D campaign against Argentina on September 9 in Marseille.

Borthwick’s appointment last December led to Saints star Ludlam being surrounded at Test level by a management team previously in charge of his club’s fierce rivals Leicester.

The 19-cap back-row forward initially found it strange setting aside hostilities and having old enemies as allies.

But he believes the England setup – led by former Tigers coaches Borthwick, Richard Wigglesworth, Aled Walters, Kevin Sinfield and Tom Harrison – is beginning to feel like a club environment.

“It was weird to get over in the beginning, especially Tom, who obviously loves Leicester and having been up against him a few times,” said Ludlam.

“Now, because we’ve been in camp for a long period of time – we don’t normally get this long period without games – it’s starting to feel like a club coming together rather than an international team where you’re only in for six weeks or whatever.

“It’s starting to come together really nicely into one unit.”

England’s final 33-man World Cup selection is due to be announced on August 7.

Injured quintet Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Ollie Lawrence, Ollie Chessum and Jack Walker, who were not included in Borthwick’s initial 41-strong training squad, are continuing their rehabilitation.

“They’re good, they’re on their programmes and working extremely hard to get themselves ready,” said scrum coach Harrison.

“Everyone’s got different timescales but they’re doing their best to be available.”

Lewis Hamilton has criticised Red Bull’s decision to axe Nyck De Vries after just 10 races.

Daniel Ricciardo has been handed a second chance in Formula One, replacing De Vries at Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri for the concluding dozen rounds of the year, starting at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

De Vries, 28, crashed on multiple occasions and failed to score a single point, with a best finish of 12th in Monaco, before he was handed his marching orders by Red Bull’s ruthless motorsport adviser Helmut Marko 48 hours after he finished 17th and last at the British Grand Prix.

“I am not surprised to see Daniel back but I was surprised to see the decision they took for poor Nyck,” said Hamilton at the Hungaroring.

“He is such a talented young man and a nice guy. The future is bright for him and there will be opportunities for the future. But that is how Red Bull do it.”

When it was suggested to Hamilton that De Vries’ dismissal is a reminder of how F1 works, the seven-time world champion replied: “I would say that is how Red Bull work.”

Ricciardo’s career looked to be all but over after he was dumped by McLaren following two underwhelming seasons with the British team.

But the popular 34-year-old impressed in a test at Silverstone for Red Bull last Tuesday, and given Sergio Perez’s torrid run of form – which has seen him fall 99 points adrift of team-mate Max Verstappen – AlphaTauri’s move to hire the Australian will fuel speculation that he could land a return to the team which carried him to seven of his eight victories.

Speaking at the world champions’ packed motorhome earlier on Thursday, Ricciardo said: “The dream is a Red Bull seat, but there is no ‘this is what you need to do’ to achieve that.

“Given what has happened over the past few years and taking time off, I knew it would be hard to get back in at the top.

“Of course that was my wish, but you need to be realistic, and if I want to get back into Red Bull it will be a process, and this is the best path for me at the moment.

Ricciardo’s reputation in the sport is on the line following his poor period with McLaren which saw the British team move to cancel his contract.

Ricciardo failed to land a seat for the 2023 campaign and instead elected to return to Red Bull as a reserve driver.

But he might struggle to impress with a team currently rooted to the foot of the constructors’ table, taking just two points all season.

However, Ricciardo added: “Over the past few years, I started falling into a trap where I believed the car does not suit me and you can be your own worst enemy. I know this car will have limitations but I will work with that.

“Getting this opportunity is a chance to make things better. That is why I am excited to get back behind the wheel and show my true self.

“I had enough time off to reset and also enjoy it again. Six months ago, I wasn’t at a place to jump at an opportunity like this but that has been the luxury of time.

“I have fallen in love with it again and I feel myself in an environment that provides me with a lot of nostalgia, so when the opportunity came along it was like, ‘let’s try it’.”

Tommy Fleetwood rode a wave of home support to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Roared on by a partisan crowd, the 32-year-old from Southport carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in an opening 66 to share the clubhouse lead with South African amateur Christo Lamprecht on five under par.

Former champion Stewart Cink, who denied 59-year-old Tom Watson a fairytale victory at Turnberry in 2009, rolled back the years himself with a flawless 68 matched by US Open champion Wyndham Clark, with Jordan Spieth and club member Matthew Jordan round in 69.

Fleetwood revelled in the support of the large galleries as he bids to win his first major title in memory of his late mother Sue, who died on July 21 last year.

“It really was a great day,” Fleetwood said. “It’s always very nerve-wracking playing in front of your home crowd in such a big event, but I got off to a decent start.

“I was actually happy to have to get up and down on the first, holing a putt really settled me down and to get that going on the back nine was really, really cool. To get that support all day was amazing.

“If you’re not going to enjoy this atmosphere and these experiences then what’s the point? Make sure you have the time of your life out there.

“Being this close to home is the coolest thing and I’m so grateful to everyone that cheers me on.”

Lamprecht had set the early target thanks to a round containing seven birdies and two bogeys, the 6ft 8in 22-year-old having qualified by winning the Amateur Championship at nearby Hillside a month ago.

Aided by playing alongside mentor Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 winner, Lamprecht carded the lowest round by an amateur in any major since England’s Tom Lewis shot 65 at Royal St George’s in 2011.

“I’d probably say the first tee shot was the only bit of nerves I had all day,” Lamprecht said.

“I just kind of walked off the first tee box after hitting my snap hook drive, and my caddie just told me, ‘listen, you’re playing The Open as an amateur, no need to stress’. We kind of had fun from there.

“It’s pretty surreal to be leading. [But] I think I earned my spot to be here. I think the way I played today I earned to be on the top of the leaderboard, as of now.

“It’s not a cocky thing to say. I just personally think I believe in myself, and I guess stepping on to the first tee box if you’re a professional or a competitor, you should be believing that you should be the best standing there.”

Jordan struck the opening tee shot at 6.35am, but the early start did not prevent him attracting plenty of support from fellow Royal Liverpool members, friends and family.

“Amazing. I’m kind of running out of words to describe it,” Jordan said of the reception he received. “It was crazy, mental, loud – everything that I could have wished for.

“I’m certainly trying to think of a better experience than that, and I don’t think I can.”

The controversial new 17th hole claimed its first victim with Lucas Herbert, joint-leader at the time on three under, making a triple-bogey at the 126-yard par three.

Herbert missed the green to the left, chipped across the putting surface into a bunker, left his next in the sand and eventually finished with a six.

My Prospero could seek a confidence-boosting success in the Sky Bet York Stakes on Saturday week.

Trained by William Haggas, the four-year-old was unlucky not to bag at least one Group One contest last term.

He was beaten a neck when third to Coroebus in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and returned to the Berkshire track to run Bay Bridge to half a length when third in the Champion Stakes.

Things have not gone according to plan so far this term with a fourth-placed effort in the Lockinge over a mile on his return at Newbury in May, before filling the same position when beaten over six lengths by Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A drop back to Group Two company over 10 furlongs on the Knavesmire could now be an appealing option for My Prospero, for a race which is the highlight of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival on its final day.

Haggas said: “We are looking at York next Saturday. He has run in two Group Ones (this season) and we just want to get his confidence, get him back winning if we can.

“It will be a tough race, but he’s a pretty nice horse and he looks and seems well, so hopefully he will run a good race.

“He is a good horse. He hasn’t done badly, he’s been fourth – but I was a little disappointed with him at Ascot. We have freshened him up a bit and hopefully he will run well.”

Meanwhile, Desert Hero has been pencilled in for the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on August 3.

A son of Sea The Stars, the three-year-old earned a third success in five career starts when recording a famous victory under Tom Marquand in the King George V Stakes.

His head verdict over Valiant King gave the King and Queen their first success at Royal Ascot.

Haggas said: “It is looking like he will go for Gordon Stakes.

“It was the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton or the Gordon, but Sir Michael (Stoute) is running another of the King’s in the Glasgow Stakes (Circle Of Fire) and we are going for the Gordon.”

Alice Haynes is excited to see Asadna make his stable debut in the Ire-Incentive – It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

The Mehmas colt created a huge impression when storming to a 12-length success on his introduction at Ripon and as a result was widely considered Britain’s chief hope for last month’s Coventry Stakes.

But Asadna could finish only ninth at Royal Ascot, with owner Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah subsequently removing the youngster from George Boughey’s yard and switching him to the care of fellow Newmarket-based trainer Haynes.

The Cadland Cottage handler has been pleased with what she has seen from the two-year-old in his homework and has booked three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy for Friday’s Listed feature.

Haynes said: “It’s obviously a bigger and more competitive renewal of the Rose Bowl than has been the case in previous years, but the ground should suit as long as they don’t get the rain and he seems to be in good order at home.

“We’ll learn a lot about him and we can go from there. We haven’t had him for that long, but I’m happy with what I’ve seen.

“He came to hand quite nicely and did a nice piece of work on Tuesday that I was quite happy with.”

Asadna’s rivals include the Ralph Beckett-trained Palmar Bay, who was last seen edging out subsequent July Stakes scorer Jasour at Salisbury in May.

Jasour’s trainer Clive Cox and owners Al Mohamediya Racing are also represented, with Shagraan stepping up in class following an impressive Windsor success.

“I was very pleased with him at Windsor and he’s come back from the race well. This is a big step up in company, but I hope he’s ready to take that move,” said Cox.

“It’s great we’ve got a very good bunch of two-year-olds that are all moving forwards nicely. If we can keep our 31 per cent strike-rate up, I’d be delighted.”

Richard Hannon’s Dapper Valley looked the part on his debut at Newbury, but needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort in Sandown’s National Stakes.

Balon D’Or has run four good races for Hugo Palmer and steps down in grade after finishing fourth in a French Group Three on his most recent appearance.

Marco Botti’s once-raced Windsor victor Kinnigoli Kid also features in a competitive contest.

Amateur champion Christo Lamprecht outscored the professionals to set the clubhouse lead on his Open debut as 50-year-old 2009 champion Stewart Cink rolled back the years to put himself in contention.

The 22-year-old Lamprecht, a 6ft 8in South African who qualified by winning his title at Hillside just up the coast in Southport a month ago, posted an impressive five-under 66 to set the mark for some of the bigger names going out later in the day.

His round was the lowest opening 18 holes by an amateur in a major since England’s Tom Lewis shot 65 in 2011 at St George’s.

Cink, the man who denied five-time champion Tom Watson’s potential fairytale Open victory at the age of 59 at Turnberry 14 years ago, also found some form to follow him home on three under.

There was also a dream start for Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan, given the honour of hitting the first tee shot at 6.35am after coming through final qualifying at nearby West Lancashire, who carded a two-under 69.

Lamprecht reeled off three birdies in four holes from the third as he turned in 32 and picked up another shot at the 10th where he holed a 13-foot putt.

The big-hitting South African’s aggressive approach got the better of him at the 387-yard par-four 11th when his drive off the tee found the rough and ended in his first bogey of the day.

However, he chipped in from the front of the 14th and then also birdied the 602-yard par-five 15th to get to five under and, although he bogeyed the next, he was on in two at the par-five last and two-putted for his seventh birdie of the day.

Cink turned in 33 after birdies at the fifth and seventh and picked up a further shot at the 15th to finish bogey-free two strokes behind.

Two shots further back was Jordan, a member at Royal Liverpool since the age of seven, who found his feet after a nervy opening hole which required a 14ft par save.

Cheered on by a supportive crowd which included family, friends and fellow members of the DP World Tour, he birdied the second and then produced a brilliant three-wood approach to 10 feet from 256 yards at the par-five fifth, which just carried the greenside bunker to set up a two-putt birdie.

He turned at two under but after his second bogey of the day at the 11th, where he found himself up against the face of a bunker, he bounced back with a birdie at the 16th.

On his reception during his round, Jordan – who holds the course record of 62 – said: “Amazing. I’m kind of running out of words to describe it. It was crazy, mental, loud – everything that I could have wished for.

“I’m certainly trying to think of a better experience than that, and I don’t think I can.”

Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood got to two under through 11 holes with world number one Scottie Scheffler a shot further back.

The controversial new 17th hole claimed its first victim with Lucas Herbert, joint-leader at the time on three under, making a triple-bogey at the 126-yard hole.

He missed the green to the left, chipped across the putting surface into a bunker, left his next in the sand and eventually finished with a six.

Ukraine Tennis Federation (UTF) chief executive Evgeniy Zukin sees no issue with Ukrainian players refusing to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents.

The Wimbledon crowd booed Victoria Azarenka when she did not shake Elina Svitolina's hand on Centre Court earlier this month.

It left Belarusian Azarenka bemused, as she was respecting the wishes of Ukraine's Svitolina.

While Zukin was disappointed to see that reaction from the crowd, he also stressed there are more important matters at play than players not shaking hands after a match.

Zukin told Stats Perform: "It's really hard to explain to everyone in a 10,000-seater court what’s going on, what kind of conflict is happening and how everything is connected.

"I was at that match and I didn’t like how the crowd reacted but it clearly shows they don't understand. But if they would like to know, they would know.

"Any kind of statement from the tournament or the WTA, you cannot be sure everybody understands or everybody gets the message – it's just a strange situation.

"We were living in a strange time of COVID but it's nothing compared to this. I don't see it as a big problem that not everyone understands what's going on.

"Whatever the player's position – you cannot make exceptions in this case, because we’re in a war with Russia and Belarus.

"We didn't start it and simply it's not going to be comprehended by the Ukrainian society if our players shook hands with their opponents.

"Some spectators may not like it but this is how things are. We have so many worse things going on than this no-handshake thing. We are spending too much time on things that don't matter too much."

Zukin and the UTF do not believe Russian or Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Indeed, heading towards the Paris Olympics next gear, Zukin believes Ukraine will boycott the competition should Belarusian and Russians be allowed to feature, even under a neutral banner.

"We don't think it's fair that during the war, Russians or Belarusians are accepted in any way or any kind to the Olympics," he said.

"We know they are funded by their state, they are not neutral. Any success by a Russian or Belarusian athlete will be used by Russian propaganda to show their superiority and we're absolutely against them taking part until the war is over.

"Maybe if the war is over before the Olympics, this position changes. But when people are dying every day, it's not normal. When you attack one of the countries in Europe and you're playing sports, it's normal?

"We have the same position on this: they shouldn't play while the war goes on. It's going to be the IOC's [International Olympic Committee] decision whether to allow them to compete then the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee will have its decision about participating or not at the Paris Olympics."

Asked if he would be disappointed for Ukrainian tennis players should the nation choose to boycott the Games, Zukin added: "It's going to be taken out of our hands and their hands as it's the Olympic Committee who endorses all of the applications.

"In case it makes a decision not to send a team, then it's impossible to send just tennis players. We completely respect this. Russia and Belarus are banned from all tennis team events, their membership from the ITF is suspended.

"The Olympics is a team competition so it would not be normal to let them compete there. Of course it's the NOC's decision but the chances are really low that Ukraine would participate if Russia and Belarus participate."

Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is daring to dream about a return to Red Bull ahead of his Formula One comeback at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo’s career looked to be all but over after he was dumped by McLaren following two underwhelming seasons with the British team.

But the popular 34-year-old has been handed a second chance, replacing Nyck de Vries at Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri for the concluding dozen rounds of the year, starting at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

Ricciardo impressed during a test at Silverstone for Red Bull last Tuesday, and given Sergio Perez’s torrid run of form – which has seen him fall 99 points adrift of team-mate Max Verstappen – AlphaTauri’s move to hire the Australian will fuel speculation that he could land a return to the team which carried him to seven of his eight victories.

And speaking at the world champions’ packed motorhome on Thursday, Ricciardo said: “The dream is a Red Bull seat, but there is no ‘this is what you need to do’ to achieve that.

“Given what has happened over the past few years and taking time off, I knew it would be hard to get back in at the top.

“Of course that was my wish, but you need to be realistic, and if I want to get back into Red Bull it will be a process, and this is the best path for me at the moment.

“You know what they are like here. They are not telling me to take it easy, they want me to show them what I have got, but there is no criteria.

“And in terms of expectations there are none. I want to be in the moment, enjoying it, and not thinking too far ahead.”

Ricciardo’s reputation in the sport is on the line following his poor period with McLaren which saw the British team move to cancel his contract.

Ricciardo failed to land a seat for the 2023 campaign and instead elected to return to Red Bull as a reserve driver.

But he might struggle to impress with a team rooted to the foot of the constructors’ table, taking just two points from the first 10 races.

However, Ricciardo added: “Over the past few years, I started falling into a trap where I believed the car does not suit me and you can be your own worst enemy. I know this car will have limitations but I will work with that.

“Getting this opportunity is a chance to make things better. That is why I am excited to get back behind the wheel and show my true self.

“I had enough time off to reset and also enjoy it again. Six months ago, I wasn’t at a place to jump at an opportunity like this but that has been the luxury of time.

“I have fallen in love with it again and I feel myself in an environment that provides me with a lot of nostalgia, so when the opportunity came along it was like, ‘let’s try it’.”

A collection of Frankie Dettori’s awards and riding gear has sold at auction for tens of thousands of pounds after the weighing room great had a clear-out.

The 52-year-old jockey, who plans to retire at the end of the year, put 126 items up for sale as he plans to “scale down” the family home in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Among them was Dettori’s trophy from his Oaks win aboard Soul Sister last month, which sold for £5,000 to a UK buyer at an online auction run by Cheffins in Cambridge, which concluded this week.

That could be his last win in a British Classic should he not win the St Leger at Doncaster in September.

Also sold were a pair of signed racing boots from a race in Saudi Arabia for £2,800, a signed racing saddle used by Dettori at Epsom for £1,400 and a set of the royal blue Godolphin silks which went for £4,600 to a buyer from Japan.

Dettori’s weighing scales, which were given to him by Steve Cauthen and which Dettori claims he has been “jumping on and off for over 30 years”, were sold for £550.

Speaking before the sale, Dettori said: “We’re scaling down and I’ve got so much stuff, we thought we might as well just auction it.

“I didn’t realise because they end up in drawers, in cupboards, in the cellar, I mean they’re all over the place.

“Now we’re clearing up a lot of stuff, we didn’t realise how much accumulated in so many years.”

He continued: “All my kids have branched out so it’s only myself and Catherine my wife left so we’re planning to rent the house, scale down and move towards London a bit.

“And I’d like to travel the world a bit.”

He said some of the proceeds of the auction will go to the charity Direct Aid For Africa (Dafa), and some will go to his five children, adding: “My daughter’s getting married next year but she hasn’t fixed a date yet.”

Harriet Lusty, deputy saleroom manager at Cheffins, said: “This auction brought buyers from the world over to Cheffins, with bidders online from Australia, Hong Kong, USA, Japan, the UK and throughout Europe.

“This really was a one-off opportunity for many of Frankie’s army of fans to buy a part of sporting history and own a piece of memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide.

“As Frankie is such a household name and easily the most famous person in the history of horse racing, we did expect to see a great deal of interest in this sale, however some of the prices achieved for the more important lots have been unprecedented.

“We were delighted to be able to assist the Dettori family in scaling down the numbers of trophies and memorabilia items kept at the house and would like to congratulate the lucky buyers who were successful during the sale.”

Savethelastdance is one of four runners for Aidan O’Brien in a field of eight declared for the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday.

The master of Ballydoyle has already won the fillies’ Classic on six occasions, a joint-record alongside Sir Michael Stoute.

O’Brien looks to have every chance of going out on his own this weekend, with 22-length Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance the likely favourite on her first start since finishing best of the rest behind Soul Sister in the Oaks at Epsom last month.

Her biggest threat could prove to be her stablemate Warm Heart, who completed a hat-trick in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up Be Happy and Listed winner Library complete the quartet.

British hopes are carried by Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking, who was beaten a head by Warm Heart on her penultimate start at Newbury, but has almost four lengths to find with the same rival from their clash in the Ribblesdale just over four weeks ago.

Splitting the pair in second at the Royal meeting was the Joseph O’Brien-trained Lumiere Rock who adds further strength in depth to the Irish Oaks field.

Azazat, second in the Munster Oaks last time out for Dermot Weld, and Jim Bolger’s Irish 1,000 Guineas third Comhra are the other hopefuls.

Elina Svitolina is an inspiration to female tennis players and women around the globe, says Ukraine Tennis Federation (UTF) chief Evgeniy Zukin.

Svitolina reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon before going down to Marketa Vondrousova, beating world number one Iga Swiatek en route to matching her best performance at a grand slam.

The 28-year-old, who gave birth in October 2022, previously reached the last four at Wimbledon in 2019 and at the US Open in the same year.

Having progressed to the quarters at this year's French Open, Svitolina seems back to her best, and Zukin is thrilled to see it.

When asked if Svitolina was an inspiration to Ukrainian athletes as the country's war with Russia rages on, Zukin told Stats Perform: "Yes, of course.

"I think this is the biggest sporting result lately for Ukraine. Our Under-21 football team also did well, reached the semi-finals of the European Championships, but on the big stage, this is the biggest achievement of a Ukrainian athlete in my opinion – of course I'm a little biased on this.

"This is amazing – quarters in Paris, now semis in London, after giving birth, is an incredible achievement from any perspective."

Asked if Svitolina's return from her hiatus was proof women can come back from pregnancy and perform at a high level, Zukin said: "Exactly. Now we hear that [Caroline] Wozniacki is coming back, [Naomi] Osaka is coming back and this is good – just for women, not athletes.

"It shows that you should give birth, you should come back to your previous business and it’s achievable and doable – this is the main message.

"It's really great, there cannot be a better message."

Zukin does not believe Svitolina should feel the pressure to win a slam, adding: "Nobody knows what's around the corner. Every athlete just wakes up every day and tries to be better than yesterday – this is the main thing.

"If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t happen, it's still an amazing career anyhow, an amazing achievement.

"One by one, day by day and then if it comes, it’s great. If it doesn't come, it's also great. There's no pressure at all in my opinion."

Zukin has known Svitolina since she was a child, and while he no longer has consistent contact with her, he says she is an inspirational figure off the court too.

"She's an independent professional, she has her own team and charity fund and agents and all her entourage is with her all the time," he said.

"I've known her since she was 11, when I was a tennis referee, refereeing tournaments where she played, and I know her older brother from when I was a player.

"She's a nice person and it's good that she tries to do something more than just tennis with her charity fund, with representing Ukraine on the world stage and delivering the messages that are really needed for Ukrainians right now.

"She's an incredible ambassador for Ukraine and Ukrainian tennis."

Amateur champion Christo Lamprecht outscored the professionals on the outward nine of his Open debut as he took an early lead on the first day.

The 6ft 8in South African, who qualified by winning the 128th Amateur Championship at Hillside just up the coast in Southport a month ago, reeled off three birdies in four holes from the third at Royal Liverpool to turn in a three-under 32.

That saw the 22-year-old overtake Matthew Jordan, a member at the Hoylake links, who had enjoyed a dream start having been given the honour of hitting the first shot at 6.35am.

Following a nervy opening hole, where he converted a 14-foot putt to save par after finding a greenside bunker, the 27-year-old DP World Tour pro – who has been a member at Royal Liverpool since the age of seven – birdied the next from 18 feet and was off and running in front of a supportive crowd which included family, friends and fellow members.

A brilliant three-wood from 256 yards at the par-five fifth just carried the greenside bunker and set up a 10-foot eagle chance and while he could not capitalise he settled for a second birdie which took him to two under.

Jordan reached the turn at two under as after bogeying the short sixth he sank a nine-footer at the 436-yard eighth but another dropped shot at the 11th, where he found himself up against the face of a bunker, opened the door for Lamprecht to charge through.

He was closely followed by 50-year-old 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink who was a shot behind after birdies at the fifth and seventh.

With the sun now out after a cloudy start, world number one Scottie Scheffler and playing partner Tommy Fleetwood both parred their opening hole.

But in the group behind Cameron Smith began the defence of the title he won at St Andrews with a birdie from 12 feet.

Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy, straight off the back of Sunday’s Scottish Open win, was due out at 2.59pm with Masters champion and world number three Jon Rahm and England’s Justin Rose in the marquee group of the afternoon.