Willie Carson saluted John Dunlop as “one of the true legends of the sport” after the veteran trainer announced he is to retire at the end of the current British Flat season, the end of a career that saw him send out over 3,500 winners.

James Fanshawe has been forced to concede that it is ’highly unlikely’ his Golden Jubilee winner Society Rock will be fit enough to run in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket next week.

Jeremy Noseda has announced that high-class sprinter Fleeting Spirit has been retired.

Racegoers at Newmarket next week will be thrilled by Aidan O’Brien’s Starspangledbanner after the trainer confirmed the Royal Ascot winner bang on target for the Darley July Cup.

Richard Hannon will have a quality new addition to supplement his already strong squad with J J The Jet Plane set to arrive at his yard.

This afternoon’s big meeting at Haydock, featuring the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup, has been abandoned.

Michael Jarvis is leaning away from sending improving sprinter Ancien Regime to York for a crack at the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes on August 22.

Sakhee’s Secret staked his claim for top sprinting honours when completing a hat-trick in impressive fashion with victory in the Axminster Carpets Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury.

SHEIKH Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum may not have been as familiar a figure on racecourses as his two brothers but his influence has been just as important.

Nunthorpe Stakes winner La Cucaracha heads a competitive field of 19 left in Sunday’s Group Two totepool Diadem Stakes at Newmarket.

Top sprinter Galeota is to visit Bristol University’s veterinary department as Richard Hannon attempts to discover why the three-year-old has completely lost his form.

Kerrin McEvoy was in sparkling form at Goodwood, completing a treble that included both feature races.

PURE ILLUSION is napped to find the winner’s enclosure in the Group Two Murphy’s Fastflow May Hill Stakes at Doncaster today.

Gerard Butler’s Nayyir heads a strong British challenge for the Group One Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Sunday.

Connections of Kheleyf are confident of a big run in a top-class international field for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket tomorrow – as long as the forecast heavy rain does not ruin the party.