Glenn Hoddle is hoping England can replicate Saturday's success at Haydock Racecourse by winning the World Cup.
England play Iran on Monday afternoon in their opening match of the tournament and they've been backed to lift the trophy after six horses took part in a Betfair Race this weekend, which represented the elite sides competing in Qatar.
In the Betfair race, jockey Bryony Frost won the race for England, defeating France by a length in the closing stages.
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Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain also finished the race, but it was England that emerged with the victory.
Hoddle presented the trophy in the winners’ enclosure at Haydock and he hoped the win was a good omen for England.
“The whole thing was great, really good fun and a really good race. It’s always good to beat the French," Betfair ambassador Hoddle said. "The French were coming first and we just pipped them. So what’s lovely is it sets it up nicely for Qatar.
"Now the boys have got to go out there and win it. That would be a great double! When you’re in a World Cup tournament, you need to take every positive you can get. The boys will be trying for their country as Bryony Frost was for England today.”
Betfair ambassador Frost, who rode England to victory, added: “England gave us all a boost last year when we were piling into the pubs to cheer them on in the Euros, so hopefully we can go even further this year.
“I hope football comes home, so I’ll be cheering on the lads.
"We all really enjoyed the race, the vibe coming out with all the jockeys was awesome and the crowd absolutely loved it too.”
Here are the latest Betfair - World Cup betting odds : Brazil 7/2, Argentina 11/2, France 13/2, Spain 15/2, England 8/1, Germany 11/1
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