Britain’s Phillip Miller, riding Caritiar Z, provided the only clear in the Hickstead Derby yesterday to deny Ireland its second successive win in the famed competition, as four faults left Tipperary’s Trevor Breen equal second on the one-eyed Adventure De Kannan.

Austin O’Connor believes the Irish team selected for the eventing nations cup at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen next week is not without potential.

The powerful and thoughtful Cannes Grand Prix winner dwells on the question of conflict and conscience as a community of French Cistercian monks in Algeria ponder the dilemma of a growing danger from Islamic fundamentalists … should they return to the safety of France or continue their good works in the local community?

Amalric, soon to be seen as the latest 007 baddie, stars in this excellent French thriller with a strong battle of wits as its core, that between Amalric and Lonsdale as the former thinks he has discovered something with a nasty Nazi secret going on in the corporation he works for.

OK, so not all French films are worth getting excited over ... as here.