Israr has the chance to strike in Pattern company for the first time at York on Saturday when he heads a field of seven for the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old got on the scoresheet twice last season, progressing expertly through the handicap ranks and picking up valuable prizes at both Newbury and Doncaster.

He then took a rise in grade in his stride when returning in the Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes at Newbury last month, forcing the now-retired Haskoy to pull out all the stops as he went down by a short head to a filly who was given single-figure quotes for the Ascot Gold Cup.

“Israr ran well first time out this year,” said Thady Gosden.

“He’s stepping up in trip which should suit him and they do a great job with the ground at York, so hopefully conditions won’t be too quick. He’s quite versatile, but like most he wouldn’t want it lightning fast.

“He’s improving and he took the step from handicap to stakes company well last time.”

William Haggas’ Roberto Escobarr won this two years ago and returns to the Knavesmire on the back of victory in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown, while Hughie Morrison’s Lonsdale Cup hero Quickthorn is another with course experience on his side.

Also engaged is the Archie Watson-trained Hambleton Racing stalwart Outbox who is out to snap a near two-year losing run on home soil at the track he almost scooped Group Three honours behind Hukum in 2021.

“His career-best effort is over course and distance,” said Cosmo Charlton, head of racing for the owners.

“He’ll enjoy the quick ground. We’re hopeful of a good run. Everything’s right for him – ground, trip and track.”

It could be a big afternoon for Hambleton, who are doubly represented in the supporting Oakmere Homes Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap with Kevin Ryan’s Washington Heights and another of Watson’s string, Garner, who goes handicapping following a pair of taking victories in maiden and novice company.

“Washington Heights has done brilliantly this season so far,” continued Charlton.

“He has run a cracker on each of his last two starts and we’re hoping for another big run. We think York suits him well. He has some solid course and distance form to his name. He ran well in the sales races last year and we’re hoping he has a good each-way chance in a strong race.

“Garner is more of an unknown quantity. His inexperience could be an issue in a very competitive race, but he’s in good form at home and he won easily at Lingfield in a novice, his first start for us. We’re hoping his mark is fair and that he can make an impact in a race of this nature.”

Max Verstappen has admitted it is beyond his childhood dreams to draw level with Ayrton Senna’s victory tally ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen heads into Sunday’s race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve just one victory shy of the great Brazilian’s haul of 41 after winning five of the opening seven rounds in his dominant Red Bull machine.

Verstappen was not even born when Senna was killed at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, but a victory here would take the 25-year-old into joint fifth in the pantheon of F1 winners.

“When I was a little kid, I would never have imagined being on that list,” said the two-time world champion.

“But you cannot compare it. People have different careers and some drivers get into a race-winning car sooner than others and nowadays we have more races than back in the day.

“I never look at the numbers, but it is an amazing achievement, that’s for sure.”

A sixth victory of a one-sided campaign would leave only Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) ahead of Verstappen.

Hamilton reached 41 wins to draw level with his boyhood hero Senna at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2015 before going on to surpass Schumacher’s haul five years later and stand on his own as the driver to have won the most races in the history of the sport.

However, the seven-time world champion, who has not won a race since his contentious championship defeat to Verstappen at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, admitted that his rival could “absolutely” eclipse his record.

But when asked if Hamilton’s record is on the horizon, Verstappen said: “It is very hard to beat.

“You need to be in the right car for a long time and we don’t know if we have that. I am just going with the flow and enjoying the moment.”

Verstappen has already established a 53-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez on his seemingly unstoppable march towards a hat-trick of world titles.

The world champions are undefeated in the opening seven fixtures, winning 17 of the past 18 races, and could become the first team to win every round in a single season. A victory here on Sunday would also be the team’s 100th in F1.

“For the sport, I understand people get bored if one team is dominating,” added Verstappen.

“But we have seen it at Mercedes, we have seen it at Ferrari, and we have seen it at Red Bull in the past.

“For me, it provides me with even more motivation because I know I have a car that can win.

“If you look at how we are performing, yes we can win every race, but it is not realistic. As long as I win the championship, that’s the most important thing.”

The Welsh Rugby Union was responsible for a “serious failure of governance” and missed opportunities to act on concerning behaviour within the organisation, a report has found.

A committee of Senedd members noted “systemic failures in the culture” of the WRU following allegations of racism, misogyny, sexism and homophobia.

The issues first came to light in a BBC documentary which aired at the beginning of the year, after which the WRU announced an external taskforce had been set up to investigate.

Concerns female rugby players in Wales may have faced “unfavourable treatment” had been highlighted to the WRU two years ago in a review of the women’s game, extracts of which were published on Friday as part of the Senedd report.

The WRU expects its independent review panel (taskforce) to report “before the end of summer” and welcomes the Senedd’s suggestion that an implementation plan should follow soon after.

“It is unacceptable that it took a BBC documentary for the Welsh Rugby Union to act decisively to tackle long-standing toxic behaviour within the organisation,” read the 33-page Senedd sport committee report.

“There is a clear body of evidence that points to opportunities that were missed by the WRU to act on concerning behaviour, or to acknowledge and tackle a pattern of this behaviour.

“This includes formal complaints; the WRU entering into several settlement agreements in relation to allegations of sexism, racism and homophobia over several years; the review into the women’s game; and the resignation of Amanda Blanc (chair of Wales’ Professional Rugby Board).

“Taken together, these point to systemic failures in the culture of the WRU.

“The fact that senior management did not identify and tackle the problem is a serious failure of governance.”

The Senedd committee expressed its belief that little would have changed at the WRU had individuals not spoken to the media.

Nigel Walker, who stepped in as acting chief executive of the governing body following the resignation of Steve Phillips in January, admitted the initial allegations “made very challenging reading”.

Walker confirmed most of the recommendations made by the 2021 review into the women’s game had already been implemented.

The WRU said it was “fully committed” to enacting all of the recommendations of the ongoing review.

“We have already accepted that we have much work to do to ensure that we address our past failures and we again express our sincere remorse for the missed opportunities and failures described and offer our sincere apologies to anyone affected,” read a WRU statement.

“We are fully committed to implementing all of the recommendations of the current independent review into the WRU.

“The committee are right to highlight that we should not wait until the taskforce completes its work before we make changes, specifically to ensure that our staff feel safe, supported and valued, and that we tackle incidents and behaviours in a robust and consistent matter.”

Interim CEO Walker published details from a letter he sent to the Senedd after appearing before it in February alongside WRU chair Ieuan Evans.

In the document, he warned changing culture “takes time” but insisted the WRU is “determined” to do so.

“Whilst this period has been extremely challenging for us, I hope you can appreciate that our intention is to accept and learn from the challenges we face, and to change the way that we work day to day,” Walker wrote.

“The (2021) review made very challenging reading for us and described a committed squad of high-performance athletes frustrated by the support they were receiving, with failures in strategic and operational management.

“The review report also made clear that we had not ensured that our female players felt fully welcomed, valued and an equal part of our game.

“Changing culture takes time, but we are determined to do it.”

Alan King will send at least three runners to Royal Ascot next week, with big gun Trueshan ready to fire in the Gold Cup, should there be sufficient cut in the ground.

With the current spell of hot weather expected to break down over the next few days, the Barbury Castle handler is “hopeful” the three-time Ascot Long Distance Cup winner can bounce back from a seven-length Sagaro defeat by Coltrane, who heads next Thursday’s showpiece event over two and a half miles.

The dual Group One winner Trueshan will be hoping to make it third time lucky in the race after being declared a non-runner in the last two renewals on account of unsuitable ground.

“We will have to hope for a few thunderstorms,” said King. “He needs to get his toe in, as we all know. It is an open Gold Cup and we’ll keep an eye on the weather and see what happens.”

Tritonic will try two and a half miles for the first time on the Flat when he lines up in the Ascot Stakes.

Runner-up in the 10-furlong Golden Gates in 2020, he subsequently won a juvenile hurdle and a Grade Three handicap hurdle at the Berkshire track.

He has only been out of the frame in once in four runs at Ascot, when fourth, beaten just over seven lengths by Quickthorn, in the heavy-ground Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.

King said: “Three will run at the meeting for us anyway.

“Tritonic will run in the Ascot Stakes. Whether he wants that trip I don’t know, but we thought we’d go that route and learn. If he ran there, you’d have to try to train him for a Cesarewitch or something.”

There is plenty of confidence behind eight-year-old Raymond Tusk, who would also appreciate some easy ground when he lines up in the Copper Horse Handicap, the final race on Tuesday’s card.

King said: “He ran in it last year. He was only beaten four lengths, finishing seventh.

“The old boy is in really good form. Obviously, we’d like a drop of rain for him, but it was fast last year and I hope he will run a really nice race again.”

HMS President had a string of runner-up efforts in decent handicaps last year for Eve Johnson Houghton.

Now with King, the HP Racing colours were carried to success on his second start for King, when taking a valuable handicap at Newmarket, having finished runner-up in the Rosebery at Kempton on his stable debut and seasonal bow.

“He’s shown he has been pretty consistent last year and is trip versatile,” said King. “It was nice to see him get his head in front at Newmarket.

“We have a small team, but we’re looking forward to the meeting, as always.”

Swiss cyclist Gino Mader has died at the age of 26 as the result of injuries suffered in a crash at the Tour de Suisse on Thursday, the Bahrain-Victorious team has announced.

Mader was involved in a high-speed crash on the descent of the Albula Pass late on stage six of the race along with American Magnus Sheffield, with both riders falling into a ravine.

Mader had been found “motionless in the water” according to a race statement, before being resuscitated by race doctors at the scene and airlifted to hospital in Chur.

However, Mader lost his fight for life on Friday morning.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we have to announce the passing of Gino Mader,” a team statement said. “On Friday 16th June, following a very serious crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained.

“Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

“Following the high-speed incident which occurred on the final descent of Thursday’s stage, the 26-year-old was resuscitated at the scene by medical staff who also performed CPR, before being airlifted to hospital.

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team.”

Sheffield, 21, suffered a concussion and soft tissue damage in the crash, and was kept in hospital overnight for observation, the Ineos Grenadiers said.

Mader, who won a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2021 and came second overall at the Tour de Romandie last year, was a hugely popular rider in the peloton and news of his death led to an outpouring of tributes.

Geraint Thomas wrote on Twitter: “I can’t believe what I’m reading. Such a sad sad day. Thoughts with everyone who knew and loved Gino.”

Former world champion Alejandro Valverde wrote: “There are no words. Terrible news. My support and love to his colleagues in @BHRVictorious as well as family and friends.”

Bahrain-Victorious managing director Milan Erzen said the team wanted to race on in Mader’s honour.

“We are devastated by the loss of our exceptional cyclist, Gino Mader,” he said. “His talent, dedication, and enthusiasm were an inspiration to us all. Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist, but a great person off the bike.

“We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

“Bahrain Victorious will race in his honour, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team.”

Race organisers said a doctor was at the scene of the crash within two minutes of it happening. It occurred with 14 kilometres of the 211km stage from Fiesch to La Punt remaining.

After the incident there was immediately criticism of a route that ended with a fast technical descent off the mountain to the finish line.

Former professional Adam Hansen, now president of the cyclists’ union the CPA, wrote on Twitter on Thursday night that such finishes were a “concern for riders” and said he has been working on a presentation to put to governing body the UCI and race organisers to better ensure rider safety.

Archie Watson is gearing up to send his biggest team to Royal Ascot next week, with King’s Stand Stakes contender Bradsell expected to fly the flag for the Upper Lambourn yard.

Last year’s winner of the Coventry Stakes on only his second start, he has run twice this term since finishing fourth in the Group One Phoenix at the Curragh last August.

Both of those outings have seen him finish third, in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot and the Sandy Lane at Haydock.

Though each of his five career starts have come over six furlongs, Watson is rolling the dice and going back in trip with the son of Tasleet.

He said: “We supplemented him for the King’s Stand. I thought on both his runs this season he travelled very strongly and shaped like a five-furlong horse. He’s run two very solid races and has really sharpened up.

“That is the route we are going and it is very sporting of Sheikh Nasser to supplement him and I’ve been delighted with him at home. Hopefully, he will have a campaign over five furlongs for the rest of the season.”

In only his seventh full season with a licence, having previously been an assistant to William Haggas, Watson has built a formidable CV which includes Ascot victories in the Windsor Castle Stakes, British Champions Sprint and the Coventry.

Glen Shiel provided Watson with his first Group One winner in 2020, two years after Soldier’s Call had scored in the Windsor Castle. And he will send another top juvenile team to the Berkshire venue, with Army Ethos tackling the Coventry, carrying the same colours as Bradsell for Victorious Racing and Fawzi Nass.

An easy three-and-a-quarter-length winner on debut at Ayr, Watson said: “He is a very nice colt. Ayr was always the plan and he won his race nicely.

“I think a lot of him. Obviously it looks a very strong Coventry on paper with Aidan’s horse (River Tiber), but I’m sure he will run a very good race and then go on to be a proper six-furlong stakes horse this year.”

Action Point, the first winner for first-season sire Blue Point, will run in the Windsor Castle, having won on debut and then finished runner-up to Maximum Impact at Ascot.

Watson said: “He’s a very nice horse, who has come on a lot physically from his last run.

“Reveiller, who won at Salisbury a couple of weekends ago, will go to the Norfolk and Lightning Leo, who won a strong-looking seven-furlong race at Yarmouth, goes to the Chesham, all being well.

“Aaddeey will go to the Copper Horse. He has done nothing wrong and won nicely on his first start for us. He probably would prefer a bit of cut in the ground, but I’m sure it will be lovely racing ground there.

“We are very lucky to have 15 or so horses going there. None of them are going to be favourites. They are 12-1 to 20-1 shots at a minimum, but I’m very happy with them all and they all deserve to be there, so fingers crossed.”

Fifty-one years of Wembley hurt was extinguished for Salford in the most bittersweet way in 2020 when supporters were locked out of their side’s first Challenge Cup final appearance since 1969 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is sure to be an additional incentive for Paul Rowley’s buoyant side as they head into Saturday lunchtime’s quarter-final against Hull KR at Craven Park with arguably their best opportunity yet to re-converge on the sport’s most enduring showpiece.

For the second consecutive season, Rowley’s Red Devils have shattered expectations and head into their last-eight clash against their injury-plagued opponents on the back of seven wins out of eight and sitting just two points off the Super League summit.

“It’s a rare occurrence for Salford to get to any cup final, so to do it when there are crowd restrictions, it would have been easy to fall into that trap of thinking it’s always us, and we’re unlucky as a club maybe,” said Rowley.

“It would be fantastic for the fans to experience what they were robbed of last time. But we really try and just focus on our jobs. It’s important we just stick to the task and don’t get derailed or carried away, and you just hope we take the opportunities when they come to us.”

Salford’s unfortunate recent history in the Challenge Cup can also be traced back to 1998, their best chance to repeat their previous final appearance, when they were edged out in the dying seconds of their semi-final by underdogs and eventual winners Sheffield Eagles.

Painful reminders of the importance of not getting carried away are illustrated on the balance sheet, which show Salford operating one of the tightest budgets in Super League.

They recently launched a community share offer scheme in a bid to become the top-flight’s first wholly fan-owned club.

In that context on-field results have been remarkable, as Rowley’s men have built on last year’s run to the play-off semi-finals with an expressive style of rugby that has won plaudits and points in equal measure, and which included a 26-16 win over Rovers two weeks ago at Magic Weekend.

For Rowley, a Wembley appearance would be a timely reward for the successes his current squad are fashioning against the odds on an almost weekly basis, as well as a welcome profile boost in an increasingly tough financial climate.

“There are no silver spoons at this club,” added Rowley. “We don’t have a carpet rolled out and we go into a rusty old gym and a team room that has nothing posh about it.

“Keeping our feet on the ground is never a difficult proposition. But as one of the old school people, the Challenge Cup was the thing you dreamed about growing up.

“The history and heritage that goes with it is something quite remarkable, and it’s something we want to continue. This is the first of three opportunities to win a trophy and I’d like any sort of success for this group because I think it’s a special one.”

Jason Robinson insists England must look to his 2007 runners-up rather than the triumphant vintage of 2003 for inspiration to drive their World Cup quest this autumn.

Either France, Ireland, South Africa or New Zealand are tipped to become champions in what is expected to be the fiercest battle yet for the global crown currently held by the Springboks.

England, meanwhile, are outsiders as Steve Borthwick continues to find his feet, having taken over an under-performing side from the sacked Eddie Jones in September.

Managing only two wins in the recent Six Nations has done little to rouse hopes, but Robinson recalls the 2007 tournament as an example of how quickly a team’s fortunes can be reversed.

“The reality is that England have got a better group than most and they’ve got to top it. And then when you get into the knockout stage it’s anybody’s,” Robinson, the Asahi Super Dry ambassador for the 2023 World Cup, told the PA news agency.

“I don’t think there has ever been a World Cup where there are so many teams in contention and I would say England are in the mix, but they are going to have to build some form.

“I would never have said we’d get to the final in 2007 with the form that we had in the lead up to it, not a chance. We were playing crap.

“We limped through the pool stages in 2007, getting beaten 36-0 by South Africa. I pulled my hamstring in that game. It was a real slap in the face for us.

“While we didn’t have form in the team, we still had some good players. The defeat against South Africa was the shock we needed.

“We got through the pool and then we found some form against Australia in the quarters. We beat France who were hosts and suddenly we were in the final. We could have won that too had Mark Cueto (who had a try controversially disallowed after it was ruled his left foot had made contact with the touchline) not had six toes!

“What happened to us in 2007 gives hope. It can be done – in sport you can turn things around in a very short space of time.

“Sometimes you get written off and you’ve got to take that on the chin and try to find a way to win.

“This England team have got some great players, but they’ve got to find form and also find the way they want to play.”

Robinson played in both the 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals and, although he was part of the greatest side to emerge from these shores, he sees the semi-final victory over New Zealand four years ago as the finest single performance.

The All Blacks were flattened 19-7 on a dramatic night in Yokohama that saw the tone set through a defiant response to the Haka.

“While we won the World Cup in 2003, England’s game against New Zealand in 2019 is the best I’ve ever seen an England team play. That’s the standout England game for me,” cross-code star Robinson said.

“I was blown away by how England approached the game. I’ve never seen New Zealand dominated like that before.

“We mixed up our game so well. We were physical, we played smart, we played around them, we played through them. When I watched it I thought ‘wow’.”

:: Asahi Super Dry is offering fans a host of beyond expected experiences, including tickets to the sold-out tournament, through retail promotional packs and QR codes on pint glasses in pubs, bars, restaurants nationwide.

Seminal moments have been slow in coming to Odsal in recent years and opinions are split over whether Thursday night’s first match trialling a new rugby league tackle law represented a significant step in the fight against concussion or an idea the sport should swiftly forget.

The crumbling venue, witness to World Cup ties and a record six-figure Challenge Cup crowd in 1954, hosted the first match in an initial eight-week experiment at academy level which bars tackles above armpit height at first contact, and penalises all contact with the head at neck.

The match between the respective under-18 teams of Bradford and Leeds, which was won by the latter 50-32, featured the expected stratospheric penalty count, with 57 interventions by referee Matthew Lynn overall, including 49 for high tackles.

The trial is part of a bid to reduce the number of concussions in the game, with the intention, if it is backed up by data, of enshrining the new tackle technique in law across both community and academy fixtures in the game, though not at the elite level.

Bradford head of youth Ryan Hunkin said: “I went in open-minded, I didn’t know what it would be like, and I don’t think it was as bad as people were expecting.

“We knew there would be more penalties and they had more energy at half-time than normal because of the stop-start nature, but kids adapt. It’s the ideal age for them to try it because they adapt quickly at this age, and they soon pick it up.”

Both teams gave away two penalties each in the opening two sets, including in the first tackle of the game, and rumblings of discontent were clear among the players and the handful of spectators in the cavernous old stadium.

The inevitable stalls in momentum were mitigated by the opportunity for a more expansive game, with both sides tending to limit themselves to two men in the tackle, for fear that a third would inevitably incur another penalty.

Striking the right balance is crucial for Hunkin, who added: “As a spectacle I don’t think it was where it will be in eight weeks. It’s a start, and we’ve got to start somewhere. But it’s a contact sport and we want to try and keep it a contact sport.”

Rugby league’s approach to lowering concussion levels in the sport differs markedly from the approach of rugby union, which sparked controversy with its out-of-the-blue announcement in January that it was lowering the allowed tackle height to below the waist in all forms of the community game from July.

The backlash was such that the Rugby Football Union subsequently amended its new tackle height to below the sternum, although there remains resistance to the changes that are due to come into force next month.

While league officials hope their more inclusive move will ensure broader backing within the game, there is clearly concern in some quarters, and Hunkin’s counterpart at Leeds, John Bastian, reflected a markedly more measured response to the trial among the Rhinos backroom staff.

“I understand what the RFL are doing but something has to be better than that for us to make our sport safer because that is very, very difficult to watch and play in,” said Bastian.

“It was very complex for both teams and very complicated to play any rugby with any skill or momentum. The rules are being challenged by the Rugby Football League. That’s fine but it made the rules more complicated tonight.”

There was also an acknowledgement of the huge task facing officials in calling near-constant infractions in the tackle while maintaining a focus on other aspects of the game.

Elite referee Marcus Griffiths, who is effectively leading the roll-out from an officials’ perspective, praised the performance of Lynn, but stressed the importance of respecting the difficulties faced by referees in rolling out the new rules.

“It’s a massive ask to referee that way because we’re taught certain ways of identifying tackles and foul play, and we’re having to adapt too,” said Griffiths.

“He’s done an amazing job. It was challenging at times out there, and it’s a massive learning curve. At times, we’re going to need arms around officials because it’s challenging.

“To go out and give 57 penalties, it’s frustrating and at times you’re going to have players taking out their frustrations on you.”

Tiger Woods won the US Open when he defeated Rocco Mediate at the first hole of sudden death after the pair could not be separated over an 18-hole play-off, on this day in 2008.

Woods forced the play-off at Torrey Pines when he converted a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 which saw the pair tied on one under after four rounds in California.

Mediate, who was bidding to become the oldest US Open winner at 45, led by one on the final tee but Woods drew level when he produced a birdie for the tie to be decided by sudden death.

Mediate missed a putt to save par and bogeyed the first hole which saw Woods take advantage and seal his 14th major victory on the same day he celebrated 500 weeks as world number one.

Woods admitted the 2008 US Open was his greatest victory to date having recovered from knee surgery two months prior and suffering with pain throughout the tournament.

“I don’t know how it even got this far but I’m very, very fortunate to have played 91 holes and come out on top,” Wood said.

“I think this is the best, just because of all the things I had to deal with.

“It’s a close one with the first (major) that I won (at the 1997 Masters).

“I dealt with a few things this week and just had to keep plugging along.

“I wasn’t feeling my best, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and when I finally got off to a good start (in the play-off), I screwed that up by finding the bunker on three.”

Shohei Ohtani pitched six strong innings and continued his home run barrage with his 22nd of the season in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

The Japanese superstar held the AL West-leading Rangers to two runs and six hits in six innings and belted a two-run homer off reliever Brock Burke in the eighth inning to extend the Angels’ lead to 5-2.

Ohtani tied Pete Alonso of the New York Mets for the major league home run lead with his seventh in 10 games. He is batting .489 (22 of 45) with 16 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak.

Chad Wallach homered in the second inning and Mickey Moniak snapped a seventh-inning tie with a blast off Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi to put the Angels on top to stay.

Angels closer Carlos Estevez walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and had to be replaced by Jacob Webb, who got the first two outs before walking in a run. Webb then struck out Adolis Garcia to end it, giving Los Angeles its ninth win in 11 games.

In a marquee pitching matchup, both Ohtani and Eovaldi didn’t disappoint.

Eovaldi was bidding to become the second 10-game winner in the majors, but instead lost for the first time since April 12. He surrendered three runs and five hits over seven innings, walking two and striking out nine.

Phillies edge Diamondbacks to move over .500

The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies went back over the .500 mark for the first time in more than a month with a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bryson Stott hit his second home run in three games to back 6 2/3 strong innings from Aaron Nola to help Philadelphia win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to 35-34.

Arizona scored four runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead, but the Phillies went ahead for good in the fourth on run-scoring hits from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Every Philadelphia starter had at least one hit, with two each from Stott, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm.

Rays beat Athletics to reach 50 wins

Luke Raley hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Oakland Athletics 4-3 to become the first team to win 50 games.

Manuel Margot also went deep, and rookie Taj Bradley struck out the first six Oakland batters and 11 in all as Tampa Bay gained a split of the four-game series.

The Athletics loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Jake Diekman got Seth Brown to ground into a double play and struck out Brent Rooker to keep the game tied at 3.

Nevada governor Joe Lombardo signed into law Thursday a $380 million public financing package to help build a stadium for the Athletics on the Las Vegas strip. The team said in a statement the Nevada governor’s signing of the funding package was “a significant step forward in securing a new home for the Athletics.”

Xander Schauffele predicted the US Open could turn “nasty” after an historic day of scoring on the opening day at Los Angeles Country Club.

Schauffele matched Ryder Cup team-mate Rickie Fowler’s eight-under-par 62 to record the lowest score in US Open history and equal the lowest in any men’s major championship, set by Branden Grace in the 2017 Open.

The duo led by five shots after the morning wave was completed on Thursday, but by the end of the day were only two in front of Dustin Johnson and Wyndham Clark, with Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman another stroke back.

“It’s not really what you expect playing a US Open, but monkey see, monkey do,” Olympic champion Schauffele said.

“I was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. Glad he was just in front of me. [But] it’s just Thursday. It’s literally just the first day of a tournament. It’s a good start. You just wait until this place firms up. It’s going to be nasty.”

World number one Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau were five shots off the pace after rounds of 67, while a frustrated Jon Rahm threatened to break a club over his knee as he struggled off the tee, but still managed to post a 69.

Playing alongside McIlroy, US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka carded a 71 which was matched by defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Quote of the day

Former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn reacts to the amazing scoring from Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele on day one.

Shot of the day

Sam Burns also recorded a hole-in-one on the 15th, but Pavon got there first.

Round of the day

Rounds of the day in this case as Fowler and Schauffele posted matching 62s.

Statistic of the day

While Fowler and Schauffele understandably grabbed the headlines with their 62s, world number one Scottie Scheffler continued to post some impressive numbers of his own.

Easiest hole

The par-five eighth hole gave up three eagles and 77 birdies, leading to an average of 4.610, although there were still three double bogeys.

Hardest hole

One of a trio of tough closing holes, the 17th played to average of 4.530 with just nine players making birdie and the same number making a double bogey.

Weather forecast

Friday is expected to have more sunshine and warmth than Thursday, which should dry the course out and lead to tougher scoring conditions. Winds remain light with a maximum strength of 15mph possible in late afternoon.

Key tee times (all BST)

1602 Dustin Johnson, Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell
1624 Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama
2132 Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
2154 Xander Schaufferle, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland

Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele equalled the lowest score in men’s major championship history with stunning rounds of 62 on the opening day of the 123rd US Open.

Fowler exploited ideal, overcast conditions for the early starters to fire 10 birdies and two bogeys at Los Angeles Country Club, matching the mark set by Branden Grace in the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

It was also the lowest score ever recorded in a US Open, England’s Tommy Fleetwood making the most recent of the six previous 63s in the final round in 2018.

Yet Fowler amazingly held that distinction on his own for less than 30 minutes as Schauffele, playing two groups behind, carded eight birdies in a bogey-free 62 of his own.

At eight under par the American duo led by two shots from compatriot Wyndham Clark and former US Open champion Dustin Johnson, with Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman on five under.

World number one Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau were two strokes further back, while a frustrated Jon Rahm threatened to break a club over his knee as he struggled off the tee, but still managed to post a 69.

Playing alongside McIlroy, US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka carded a 71 which was matched by defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Fowler has recorded eight top-five finishes in the majors, including in all four 2014, and was runner-up to Patrick Reed in the 2018 Masters following weekend rounds of 65 and 67 at Augusta National.

The native Californian had failed to qualify for the last two US Opens as a loss of form saw him tumble to 185th in the world rankings, but he came into the week on the back of successive top 10s on the PGA Tour and ranked 45th.

“It’s definitely been long and tough,” Fowler said of his road back to the game’s upper echelons.

“A lot longer being in that situation than you’d ever want. But it makes it so worth it having gone through that and being back where we are now. I would say we’re starting to get maybe as close as we’ve ever been to where I was through 2014, 2015.

“It was a great day out there. The first few days this week I was not feeling very comfortable or making many putts but I kept working on the range and finally a couple of things clicked a bit yesterday (Wednesday).

“Then it was just a case of going out there and trusting it and letting things happen.”

Like Fowler, Schauffele started on the back nine and picked up shots on the 10th, 12th and 14th before storming home in 30, aided by a birdie from 60 feet on the fifth.

“It’s not really what you expect playing a US Open, but monkey see, monkey do,” said the Olympic champion, who has never finished worse than 14th in six previous US Open starts.

“I was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. Glad he was just in front of me [But] it’s just Thursday. It’s literally just the first day of a tournament. It’s a good start. You just wait until this place firms up. It’s going to be nasty.

“I’m going to take what the course can give me, and today it gave me a low one, and we’re going to have to assess it as we go on.”

McIlroy raced to the turn in 30 with five birdies in his first eight holes before following a run of six pars with a birdie on the 124-yard 15th, where Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns both made a hole-in-one.

However, the four-time major winner then dropped his only shot of the day on the 18th and did not speak to waiting reporters after being required to undertake a drug test.