JOE DOWNES AT SUZUKA: Lewis Hamilton's woeful start allowed Nico Rosberg to coast to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix and edge closer to a maiden world title. The German was left with the simplest of tasks to claim his maiden win at Suzuka, his ninth this season and his fourth in the last five races. Hamilton was down in eighth place at the end of lap one as his troubles off the line this term continued. He recovered to finish third but now trails Mercedes team-mate Rosberg by 33 points with just four races remaining and a maximum 100 points up for grabs.
BREAKING NEWS
Joey Barton has had his suspension at Rangers extended by a week
Johanna Konta has lost 6-4 6-2 to Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the China Open in Beijing
Bloodied and battered Bisping survives horrific onslaught to claim revenge on Henderson and retain UFC title in Manchester homecoming
WILL GRIFFEE IN MANCHESTER: Seven years after Dan Henderson won their first meeting in Las Vegas, Michael Bisping was able to exact revenge in front of his home crowd in the early hours of Sunday morning. He had to do it the hard way, though, as he picked himself up off the canvas after being taken down by Henderson right hands on two occasions..
Click through today in pictures
Take Tyson's belts! Fury's trainer happy for 'ill' champion to be stripped of his titles... but only if he is given chance to win them back on return
Tyson Fury's camp are happy for the heavyweight champion to have his belts stripped... as long as he is afforded the chance to win them back when he returns to the ring, according to trainer Peter Fury.
Don't boo Roo! England boss Southgate urges England fans to lay off captain after Wembley jeers
Gareth Southgate launched a passionate defence of his captain Wayne Rooney on Saturday night, after sections of the Wembley crowd booed his name when it was announced.
It's my fault: Hamilton admits he was to blame for abysmal start in Japan due to too much wheel spin
Starting from second on the grid at Suzuka, Hamilton crawled off the line, getting swallowed up by several cars to lie eighth at the end of the first lap.
OLIVER HOLT: The Minnesota Vikings' stadium move is a lesson for out-of-tune West Ham
The Minnesota Vikings are an example of how to manage a stadium move in precisely the way that West Ham are not. The Vikings sought continuity where as West Ham talk of re-branding.
Neymar has to stop being 'Charlie Big B*******,' warns Bolivia defender Duk after bloody elbow incident
Bolivia defender Yasmani Duk is refusing to apologise after elbowing Neymar and demands that the Barcelona forward stops his 'Charlie Big B******* behaviour'.
Wood injury jinx strikes again as England bowler is ruled out of India tour with another ankle injury
Mark Wood has received another serious setback in his injury ravaged career when he was today ruled out of England's Test tour of India with more problems with his left ankle.
'Henderson hits hard... he's a legend': Bisping praises old rival as he shows off shocking battle scars around his eye
Michael Bisping was heavy in his praise for veteran fighter Dan Henderson and the Manchester crowd after successfully defending his middleweight title at UFC 204. The 37-year-old famously lost to Henderson at UFC 100 seven years ago, but made no mistake this time with a convincing win following a unanimous decision. After the fight, Bisping was delighted with his own performance, but said that the energy and commitment shown by the fans got him through some tough situations.
Giggs hits back at 'underwhelming interview' claims and says Swansea 'did not meet my ambition'
Ryan Giggs has hit back at claims he had a poor interview with Swansea saying: 'They did not meet my ambition.' Giggs was a contender for the job after the Swans sacked Francesco Guidolin.
Brailsford feeling the heat over Wiggins as UK Anti-Doping investigation continues
MATT LAWTON: There is a growing sense of anxiety among prominent figures at Team Sky over Sir Dave Brailsford's handling of the current crisis.
James rejected £76m move to Inter despite falling out of favour at Madrid
Inter Milan agreed a whopping £76million deal with Real Madrid to sign James Rodriguez in the summer but their attempts to bring the Colombian playmaker to the San Siro were in vain.
Mancini for England? Former Manchester City boss watches game at Wembley after FA invite
The 51-year-old former Manchester City manager is out of work after leaving Inter Milan by mutual consent in August and has been courted by clubs in China.
Sturridge and Alli strike to fire Southgate's England to victory in his first game in charge over minnows Malta at Wembley
ENGLAND 2-0 MALTA BY ROB DRAPER AT WEMBLEY:We will, perhaps, hold off on calls for a knighthood just for now. After all, Sam Allardyce won his first game for England. Gareth Southgate can at least make it to Tuesday night in Slovenia and complete a second game before we start to assess his suitability to become a peer of the realm. But as auditions go, Southgate did just about alright; no more than that.
PLAYER RATINGS: Henderson incisive in his passing but Walcott struggles
Gareth Southgate's reign as England's interim boss begun with a comfortable World Cup qualifying victory over Malta. Sportsmail's ADAM CRAFTON was at Wembley to rate the Three Lions.
Rooney played like an old man watching his grandchildren frolic around the garden
SAM CUNNINGHAM: The 30-year-old says he is a fighter and will not give up on his England career, but someone will have to throw the towel for him eventually. It is getting too painful to watch.
GLENN HODDLE: England impressed during first 45 minutes against Malta... but Rooney must make an impact
GLENN HODDLE: I was encouraged by England's first 45 minutes at Wembley on Saturday night, you could see what the new manager Gareth Southgate was trying to instil in his players.
Lingard has been an intelligent player since he was 10 but needs to 'kick on', according to Giggs
Ryan Giggs thinks Jesse Lingard has been an intelligent player since the age of 10 but needs to 'kick on'. Lingard made his debut for England in their World Cup qualifier against Malta.
OLIVER HOLT: Southgate off to perfect start as he avoids Malta banana skin and proves just because he is polite, he isn't weak
OLIVER HOLT AT WEMBLEY: A few minutes before kick-off, just before the England caretaker manager left the home dressing room with his team, the loud-speaker system played an old favourite. 'Three Lions on a Shirt,' blared out around the stadium and 20 years in the life of Gareth Southgate fell away to a time when he was walking out here in a kit, not a three-piece suit. Southgate was a member of Terry Venables' side at Euro 96, the last time there was real excitement or genuine optimism about England's chances of actually winning a tournament.
Lingard was tidy without wow factor on England debut... but discipline showed why Mourinho likes him
SAMI MOKBEL: This disciplined display an example of why Mourinho has shown such faith in the 23-year-old. Lingard's value isn't always the easiest to spot; but Mourinho certainly has.
Southgate admits there is room for improvement after England eased to win over Malta in his first game
ADAM CRAFTON AT WEMBLEY: Gareth Southgate has called on England's players to step up their intensity after their performance faded in the second-half.
Bruce is top of Aston Villa's list to be new boss after more talks
Bruce has emerged as the clear frontrunner to take over at Aston Villa after holding talks with the club's chief executive Keith Wyness and technical director Steve Round.
English football is in denial about homophobia... staggering statistics reveal clubs continue to have problems
SAM CUNNINGHAM: On a windswept touchline, a coach stands, hands pushed deep into his pockets. He watches as one of his players stumbles. 'Don't pass like a fag!' he says.
Open Hart: Controversial City exit still frustrates the England No 1 as he looks to rebuild his career in Italy with Torino
ROB DRAPER: Joe Hart is pretty frank about his move to Torino in Serie A this season. He is in the land of Dino Zoff, Gianluigi Buffon and Walter Zenga and is asked whether that may have been a factor in choosing Italy. 'It was but I'm not going to lie,' he says. 'I wasn't sat there with 25 options. I wasn't. Torino was a really good option for me and it definitely excited me to go to play in Serie A and to play for Torino. That fit, in the situation I was in, was a good decision.
Muller bags brace either side of a Kroos strike as Germany maintain impressive qualifying start
GERMANY 3-0 CZECH REPUBLIC: Germany recorded their second successive 3-0 win in a comfortable start to their Group C World Cup qualifying campaign. Thomas Muller bagged a brace while Toni Kroos was also on target for Joachim Low's men, who inflicted an identical defeat on Norway last month and host Northern Ireland in their next qualifier on Tuesday.
McArthur to the rescue as Scotland leave it late to grab point against Lithuania... but they are booed off
Substitute McArthur rescued Scotland with an 89th-minute equaliser against the Group F minnows on Saturday night. Fedor Cernych had put Lithuania ahead with a thumping strike.
Fletcher admits Scotland are under pressure... but hopes Slovakia will be rattled by defeat by Slovenia
Forced off injured at half-time and then compelled to watch as his Scotland team-mates scrambled their way to a draw, the occasion of Darren Fletcher's 75th cap was the source of scant joy.
McArthur 'gutted' Scotland could not defeat Lithuania and is ready to step in for injured Fletcher
James McArthur believes his late equaliser against Lithuania has kept Scotland's World Cup campaign on track and is ready to stand in for Darren Fletcher in Tuesday's visit to Slovakia.
Charnley signs off from rugby league with the winning try for Wigan at Old Trafford
WARRINGTON 6-12 WIGAN BY NIK SIMON AT OLD TRAFFORD: Old Trafford proved to be the theatre of Josh Charnley's wildest dreams. On his final game in rugby league, the Wigan winger scored the winning try to bid a Grand Farewell in the Grand Final. Coming back from 6-2 down against Warrington, Charnley collected Dan Sarginson's kick in the 63rd minute to score in his last outing before his code switch to Sale Sharks.
Australia scrum-half Phipps pushes over Argentina physio in moment of madness
Nick Phipps caused a second-half brawl when he shoved over an Argentinean physio at Twickenham. The replacement scrum-half saw the medic trying to pick up the ball when Australia were awarded an penalty and went for him, pushing him to the ground. The Pumas winger Matias Moroni was so incensed that he ran 30 metres to confront the Wallaby, and then a 20-man shoving contest began.
England in crisis as Jones loses TWO more players to injury with Williams and Nowell latest to suffer
SAM PETERS: It follows the worst week in Eddie Jones' England coaching career, which saw him heavily criticised for the brutal nature of a three-day training camp.
Australia 33-21 Argentina: Cheika tells England that Wallabies will return to Twickenham 'with a bit of edge'
The Wallabies head coach saw his team beat Argentina at rugby HQ comfortably to end the Rugby Championship in second place, but knows he needs more fight to beat Eddie Jones's men.
South Africa 15-57 New Zealand: Kiwis seal clean sweep in the Rugby Championship
New Zealand overcame the absence of suspended half-back Aaron Smith to seal a clean sweep in the Rugby Championship with victory over South Africa in Durban on Saturday.
STARS OF SPORT
- Stop being Charlie Big B******* Neymar! Bolivia defender Yasmani Duk is refusing to apologise to Brazil star Neymar after elbowing him in the head
- Bisping beats Henderson to retain middleweight title at UFC 204 in Manchester Bisping got revenge on his old foe with a unanimous victory
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Jordi Cruyff believes iconic father Johan would be a Manchester City fan today
Football legend Johan Cruyff sadly died of lung cancer in March this year
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Hargreaves: A future watching the other guys get stuck in... I'll drink to that!
Alistair Hargreaves on his decision to quit rugby due to fears for his health
- Coleman warns kids about the big, bad world of football Irishman is 27 now and one of the senior players in manager Ronald Koeman's Everton team
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MORE STARS OF SPORT
- Zlatan masks up and insists he has 'no free time' Zlatan Ibrahimovic is keeping himself fit during the two week international break
- I want to earn respect! Bradley unveiled as Swansea's new boss Bob Bradley becomes the first American to take a job at a Premier League club
- Hollywood meets... Kane! Tottenham star and Wahlberg have a catch up The England striker is currently sidelined with an ankle injury
- Burns' night in Glasgow as Ricky holds on to world title Ricky Burns claimed victory by unanimous decision as he beat Kiryl Relikh in Glasgow
- 'Manchester let's f****** do this!' Bisping raring to go at UFC 204 Michael Bisping was at his provocative best as he came face to face with Dan Henderson
- Careful, Greg! Golf great Norman gets his chainsaw out to clear mess from Hurricane Matthew... despite nearly losing his arm in horrific accident Back in the game
- Football's furry friends! From awkward embraces to affectionate hugs, we celebrate mascots in brilliant images... with managers Hilarity ensues
- Valencia chased by police after being carried off injured on medical buggy as child support row continues Took a turn for the bizarre
- Pogba looks to rediscover his form while away on international duty The midfielder took part in a training session with France on Thursday
- Sidelined Messi relaxes with family at the movies Argentina will be without Messi for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay
- Found a new career, Fernando? Alonso serves sushi to Button in Tokyo The pair are preparing for the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday
- Suspended All Blacks star Smith admits 'huge error' in tearful apology After he was caught 'having sex with a woman in a disabled toilet at airport'
- Hamilton jokes that 'this s*** is killing me' as he uses Snapchat bunny filter to amuse himself during press call Childishness ahead of Japanese GP
- Neymar left in a bloodied mess as Brazil superstar is flattened during Brazil's 5-0 romp with Coutinho and Firmino both scoring Brazil hammered Bolivia
- FORE! Lingard should stick to football as United youngster sends driver flying during golf session Winger reacted with a mixture of shock and embarrassment
- Joshua vs Klitschko could be finalised next week with winter mega-bout on the cards Ukrainian also said Tyson Fury is 'dragging boxing through the mud'
- Gayle hangs tough as West Indies all rounder hits the gym Preparing for his individual schedule on the T20 circuit in unusual fashion
- Henderson, Stones and Dier take a break from England duty with a round of golf England stars enjoyed a round of golf at The Belfry on Wednesday
- Redknapp plays football with Scottish schoolchildren... after a round of golf with Gullit Jamie Redknapp took time out of his participation in the golf
- Wagner was Klopp's best man... and he's led Huddersfield to the top of the Championship David Wagner could easily pass as stunt double for Jurgen Klopp
- Nine Premier League legends in one photo... and just the 1,260 goals between them! Premier League legends joined together in London
- Secret Southgate: How a 'posh' boy who fancied a career in journalism survived jokes about his nose to make it to top Gareth Southgate is now in charge of England
- Alli gets the better of pal Dier with secret nutmeg in England training Dele Alli and Eric Dier's friendship has been well-documented
- Back to black: City's Guardiola and Duggan share moment to forget after pitching up to photoshoot wearing similar outfits Saw the funny side
- Inside Savage's old farmhouse: Countryside home up for sale for £1.65m complete with five bathrooms Cottage annexe and a snooker and TV room
- Ozil says 'sometimes I have to be selfish' as he watches Arsenal's 3-0 win over United while co-commentating alongside Cazorla Last season's triumph
- Manchester United fear love split is behind Martial's slump in form United are concerned Anthony Martial's turbulent private life is to blame for his dip in form
- Neymar and team-mates in relaxed mood as Brazil warm up for Bolivia clash Brazil warmed up for their latest World Cup qualifier
- France prepare to take on Bulgaria and Holland in World Cup qualifiers France continued preparations for their World Cup qualifying double header
- Tennis rogue Kyrgios shows caring side by coming to sick fan's aid with water bottle Kyrgios sent some water up to the injured spectator
LATEST MATCH REPORTS
- England 2-0 Malta: Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli strike to fire Gareth Southgate to victory in his first game in charge over plucky minnows
- Scotland 1-1 Lithuania: Scots booed off despite sub James McArthur salvaging a point with last-gasp strike
- Northern Ireland 4-0 San Marino: Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty and Jamie Ward ensure Michael O'Neill's side beat 10-man opposition
- Slovenia 1-0 Slovakia: Substitute Rok Kronaveter scores winner with first touch to seal well-earned victory
- Portugal 6-0 Andorra: Cristiano Ronaldo scores FOUR in rout as minnows have two men sent off for kicking Real Madrid star
- France 4-1 Bulgaria: Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro double act gets 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track
- Belgium 4-0 Bosnia: Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Toby Alderweireld get The Red Devils back to winning ways under Roberto Martinez
- Holland 4-1 Belarus: Vincent Janssen stunner caps dominant display
- Austria 2-2 Wales: Marko Arnautovic strikes twice to leave Chris Coleman's men to settle for a point in Vienna after the visitors had led through Joe Allen and a Kevin Wimmer own goal
- Republic of Ireland 1-0 Georgia: Seamus Coleman secures Martin O'Neill's side narrow win in Dublin
- Italy 1-1 Spain: Daniele de Rossi rescues draw with late penalty after Vitolo opener in glamour World Cup qualifier
- Kazakhstan U21 0-1 England U21: Demarai Gray hits early effort as Aidy Boothroyd's Young Lions secure qualification for Euro 2017
- Celta Vigo 4-3 Barcelona: Luis Enrique's side falter again in La Liga title race as Catalan giants suffer second defeat of season
- Burnley 0-1 Arsenal: Laurent Koscielny's last gasp winner marks Arsene Wenger's 20th anniversary
FOOTBALL NEWS
Cruyff believes father Johan would be a Man City fan today and says it is a matter of time before Guardiola is successful in England
ROB DRAPER: It is almost as if the man himself is there. The question has been raised as to whether Johan Cruyff, shortly before his death in March this year, would have had any concerns about Pep Guardiola adapting to English football. In the room is his son, Jordi, and he says his father was able to talk with Guardiola about the new challenge in his career shortly before he died.
Wagner is composing a sweet Yorkshire symphony at Huddersfield and has them flying at the top of the Championship
ROB DRAPER - INTERVIEW: Perhaps a German succeeding in Yorkshire is not quite as surprising as it might appear. After all, the German culture of speaking your mind means that people can seem a little blunt at times. So it might explain why David Wagner is thriving at Huddersfield Town.
Masked man Zlatan claims 'there is no free time' as he keeps fit during international break
Zlatan Ibrahimovic claims there is 'no free time' for a top level sportsman, only 'hard work and objectives' as he keeps himself fit during the two week international break. The 35-year-old may be retired from the international game, but shows that despite heading into the latter stages of his career he has no intentions of slowing down.
Chelsea ready to make move for Lazio winger Anderson
The Brazilian was courted by Manchester United last year but a deal failed to materialise and the 23-year-old suffered a drop in form. Now Chelsea are monitoring the Lazio winger.
Euro disappointment made us hungry for more, claims Wales boss Coleman
Wales popped plenty of corks in celebration at their ride to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, but Chris Coleman is refusing to think about toasting more success just yet.
Everton sweat over Lukaku after striker injures thigh in Belgium victory
Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is a fitness doubt for their game against Premier League leaders Manchester City next weekend with a thigh injury.
Pogba needs 'affection', insists Griezmann after lacklustre display
Antoine Griezmann believes Paul Pogba needs to be shown 'affection' to rediscover his form after another disappointing performance during France's World Cup qualifier victory.
Tottenham head of recruitment Mitchell attracting the interest of Marseille
The French club are in the process of being taken over by LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and want to speak to Mitchell about becoming their head of recruitment.
O'Neill knows Ireland 'have to fight for everything' ahead of clash with Moldova
Had Seamus Coleman not rescued what appeared an unlikely victory, Ireland's hopes of making it back to Eastern Europe and to the World Cup finals in Russia would have been on shaky ground,
The Premier League's forgotten men: From Sanogo to Ings and Carroll to Mikel, here are 10 players who have fallen off the radar
Have you glanced at a Premier League squad list this season and thought - 'How on earth is he still there?' As hard as managers try to keep their squads happy through rotation, there are always some who play so rarely that you'd almost forgotten they exist. We take a look at 10 forgotten men in this season's Premier League squads.
Are Wales' woeful team photos a prank? Bale laughs off suggestion of in-joke after latest hilariously bad pre-match line-up
Gareth Bale admits Wales are rubbish at posing for pre-game team pictures - but plans to focus better when the real action starts against Georgia on Sunday. Wales have become a photographer's nightmare with their wonky line-ups ahead of kick-off but Bale refused to give the game away when asked if it has become a deliberate prank.
Northern Ireland 4-0 San Marino: Davis, Lafferty and Ward ensure O'Neill's side beat 10-man minnows
CHRIS WHEELER AT WINDSOR PARK: San Marino were never likely to spoil the party, especially with 10 men, but it still needed three late goals from Northern Ireland to kill off the underdogs
'I don't care if you think I'm an American and I don't know s***,' blasts new Swansea boss Bradley
Bob Bradley made an emphatic entrance into British football at his unveiling as the new Swansea boss on Friday - and the American has vowed to prove his sceptics wrong.
Slovenia 1-0 Slovakia: Substitute Kronaveter scores winner with first touch to seal well-earned victory
Slovenia's Rok Kronaveter scored his first international goal with his first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute to earn his side a win over Slovakia in a scrappy World Cup Group F qualifier on Saturday.
Spurs striker Janssen caps dominant Dutch display with beauty against Belarus
HOLLAND 4-1 BELARUS: Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen produced the finest of strikes as Holland eased past Belarus to rise to the top of Group A.
Schweinsteiger trains on his own at Man United as World Cup winner cuts lonely figure during international break
Manchester United outcast Bastian Schweinsteiger has spent his first free international break by training on his own at the club's Carrington HQ. The World Cup winner is unwanted by United.
Poland 3-2 Denmark: Lewandowski hat-trick secures thrilling victory
A hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski lifted Poland to a 3-2 victory over Denmark in a thrilling World Cup Group E qualifier in Warsaw on Saturday.
Allardyce will 'dwell on the regrettable episode' which cost him England job, says FA chief Clarke
Greg Clarke, the new chairman of the Football Association, believes that Sam Allardyce will 'dwell on the regrettable episode' that led to his departure as England manager for a long time to come.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
Hargreaves on his decision to quit rugby due to health fears... A future watching the other guys get stuck in, I'll drink to that
SAM PETERS: It would be so easy for Alistair Hargreaves to feel bitter on Sunday as he watches from the sidelines at Allianz Park. Forced to retire from the game he loves at the age of 30 after suffering five concussions in two years, the former Saracens captain and second row would be forgiven for resenting the hand he has been dealt. Not a bit of it.
Burns earns right for Broner fight after defence of his WBA world super-lightweight title in Glasgow
Ricky Burns could turn his attention to a big-money Las Vegas fight with Adrien Broner after his successful mandatory defence of his WBA world super-lightweight title against Kiryl Relikh in Glasgow. A meeting with the four-weight champion from the US was the incentive for the 33-year-old from Coatbridge, who had to work hard against the Belarusian to keep the belt he won in May.
Stokes is relishing his new-found responsibility as England vice-captain
PAUL NEWMAN IN DHAKA: Trevor Bayliss identified Ben Stokes as the heartbeat of his young England side as soon as he took charge last summer and rarely has he demonstrated it more vividly than with his decisive intervention in the thrilling first one-day international. Stokes is used to influencing games with bat, ball and in the field but now, in his new role as acting vice-captain to Jos Buttler, he proved equally adept with words just as Bangladesh looked poised to cruise to an opening victory here.
Konta beats Keys to reach China final and become first British woman to reach top 10 for 32 years
Johanna Konta has become the first British woman in 32 years to reach the top-10 after sealing a place in the final of the China Open.
Leicester 34-13 Worcester: Williams a doubt for England as Tigers win
SAM PETERS AT WELFORD ROAD: Mike Williams became England's latest injury concern after suffering suspected nerve damage to the arm he broke twice last season.
O'Sullivan sets up final with Judd Trump in European Masters
Ronnie O'Sullivan stands between Judd Trump and the European Masters title after 'the Rocket' destroyed Australian Neil Robertson 6-0 in their semi-final.
Khan can't wait to use 'new hand' and plans boxing return after operation to transplant hip bone into his fist
Amir Khan is targeting a return to boxing in early 2017, after an operation to place hip bone into his right hand was a success. Khan has been out of the game since defeat to Canelo Alvarez in May.
Harlequins 20-9 Northampton: Sinckler shines as Quins land crucial victory
WILL KELLEHER AT THE TWICKENHAM STOOP: Kyle Sinckler led the charge as Harlequins managed a vital home win over Northampton Saints on Saturday afternoon.
RACING
Jump jockey Brooke taken to hospital after horror fall at Hexham
Jump jockey Henry Brooke was treated for serious injuries in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary after a fall at Hexham on Saturday.
Churchill targets Dewhurst glory as O'Brien closes on Group One record
The conclusive triumph of O'Brien's Rhododendron in Friday's Dubai Fillies' Mile took O'Brien's tally to 20. He is four short of his best and five off the worldwide record set by the late Bobby Frankel.
THE BEST WRITING IN SPORT
Meet football's most madcap owners: Heard the one about the 'manager eater', the Chairman Mao quoter and the one who threatened to chop off an agent's b****?
Having the influence of an owner over a football club has been a reality since the sport left its amateur beginnings and took on a more professional guise. It has not just been in modern times that owners have hit the back pages for the wrong reasons either. Brian Clough used to regularly rail against directors and those he perceived as not being footballing men. However, while some owners may clash with managers or sell the wrong player at the wrong time, there is a big difference between that and the more incredible custodians that the game has managed to bring forth. From sacking after sacking to quoting Chairman Mao, Sportsmail has put together a guide to football's most madcap owners.
How Klopp made Liverpool harder, better, faster, stronger: Boss's revolution started a year ago and his team now top charts for distance run (with Manchester United last)
KIERAN GILL - THE NUMBERS GAME: It is a year to the day since Jurgen Klopp sat in front of a signed contract, and showed off that infamous smile for the first time as their new manager.
Toulon's comic book magnate owner reveals why he put Wilkinson on a pedestal... along with Spider-man
NIK SIMON - INTERVIEW: Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Mourad Boudjellal, whose office in Toulon is filled with figurines of trolls, hairless camels and babies carrying spears.
West Ham's perfect storm: Stadium protests, mediocre signings and relegation form have led to trouble
MATT BARLOW: Another week of inner turmoil draws to a close at London's culture club, where one tradition thriving despite a move from Upton Park to Stratford is the promise of wild inconsistency.
