Ryan Moore roared into the history books on the penultimate day of Royal Ascot as he became the first jockey since the war to ride nine winners at the showpiece meeting.

Champions Chelsea will start the defence of their Barclays Premier League title against Swansea.

Godolphin have snapped up Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Pleascach and she will carry their colours when she runs in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.

John Gosden strengthened his hand for the Oaks when Star Of Seville made all the running in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York yesterday.

Stoke 3 Arsenal 2

Oil giant Chevron is to cut 225 jobs in Aberdeen as it reorganises its North Sea operations.

There are few harder horses to dislodge from the front than Universal and Mark Johnston’s battler continued his impressive rate of progress in the Princess Of Wales’s boylesports.com Stakes at Newmarket.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is hoping the draw for the last 32 of the Europa League will deal his side a kinder hand than they received in the group stages.

The banking arm of the Co-operative Group will today offer everyday-banking services from an additional 250 high street branches as it completes the integration of Britannia Building Society.

THE Queen’s visit to Ireland began at noon last Tuesday, but it was another three hours before she touched down. More than her physical presence in the state, it was her gesture at the Garden of Remembrance that brought her into contact with the Irish people. Somebody among the organisers must have realised that the laying of a wreath to those who died for Irish freedom should occur as soon as possible.

Rapper Tinie Tempah, soul star Plan B and folk-rock act Mumford And Sons will be hoping for glory tonight at the UK's biggest music bash, the Brit Awards.

NOW that the British chancellor of the exchequer has said Britain stands ready to participate in rescuing the state-owned Irish banks, it is appropriate that we should recall the words of an old song.

THE Falklands war was in full swing and John Paul II was in London as the first pope ever to set foot on English soil.

THE jeweller responsible for making the Cheltenham Gold Cup has offered his sympathies to Raymond Mould after the 1988 trophy won by Charter Party was stolen yesterday morning.

Kieren Fallon should be freed up to ride Blue Maiden in Sunday’s Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas.

Harvest Dancer overcame considerable inexperience to justify solid support in the Family Fun On 31st May Maiden Stakes at Goodwood.

AH the magic of the FA Cup, eh? The disappointing sight of so many thousands of empty seats up and down the country, on what was once guaranteed to be one of football’s most exciting weekends of the season, suggests that the guardians of the oldest knockout competition on the planet aren’t particularly competent.

IT was not quite a shot that could be heard around the world, but the ripples created by Glenn Whelan’s fine winning goal here were almost certainly felt in France.

Franklin, Tragic Hero of Polar Navigation, by Andrew Lambert, Faber and Faber, £20.

Epsom brings out the best in River Captain, who got a wet and blustery Derby day off and running in the Investec Sir Clement Freud Memorial Stakes.

Richard Fahey's decision to let Utmost Respect take his chance in the Duke of York Blue Square Stakes paid dividends as he swooped late and fast for Group Two glory.

Golden Sword proved the sharper of Aidan O'Brien's two runners in the Virgin Money Chester Vase today as the 25-1 chance denied his stablemate and red-hot favourite Masterofthehorse on Ladies' Day at Chester.

RAFAEL BENITEZ expressed his disappointment with the slow progress in his new contract negotiations on the day when he launched a fierce attack on Alex Ferguson.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will be happy to see out the season with the current crop of players at his disposal.

THEY are credited with playing the most eye-catching football in England, a team that can out-play anybody when the mood takes them.

AIDAN O’BRIEN and Johnny Murtagh rely on Halfway To Heaven as they bid to add to their Group One successes in this afternoon’s Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Michael Bell is considering Saturday’s Doncaster winner Redford for the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot next week, a race he took a year ago with Eddie Jock.

Fleeting Spirit will be prepared for a crack at the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot after setting a new course record in the betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock.

‘The Last Legion’ (Momentum, €24.99) combines a swords-and-sorcery epic to minimal effect.

Jamie Spencer, fresh from his Group One victory on Red Evie in the Lockinge, posted another impressive success as Ripples Maid sprinted home in the paddypower.com Handicap at Newbury.

THE Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has yet to review the reports on the recent Ballindenisk Eventing World Cup qualifier, which proved controversial after many riders withdrew over the hard ground.

Regime will set out on the road to the Vodafone Derby when having his mettle tested in the Betfred Classic Trial at Sandown on April 28.

Hughie Morrison is to take the “softly softly” approach with Prince Tamino following his victory in the William Hill Trophy.

UNBEATEN two-year-old Excellent Art may bypass Royal Ascot and wait for a Group Two race at the Curragh on Irish Derby day.

BANK OF IRELAND’S sale of its struggling Bristol & West branch network in Britain will yield €44 million more in profits than originally expected, the bank said yesterday.

Eisteddfod may be upped in class after defying top weight of 9st 7lb for the second race running at the weekend.

Jockey David Allan’s disappointment at missing out on a ride at Royal Ascot at York tomorrow was tempered somewhat when he completed a 28-1 double on No Grouse and Grandad Bill at Thirsk today.

Elite Racing Club are likely to to have a team of six supporting their main hope Soviet Song at Royal Ascot at York next week.

Clive Cox has no regrets about choosing a high draw for New Seeker in the Stanleybet Lincoln at Doncaster tomorrow despite low numbers filling the first three places home in the Spring Mile this afternoon.

UP to 300 Rome-bound Irish rugby fans breathed a sigh of relief late last night after facing the risk of being abandoned at Shannon Airport for today’s start of the Six Nations.

The aspirin-styled bar stools, towering medical cabinets, DNA-themed sculptures and molecule inspired ashtrays which lined Damien Hirst’s famed, but short-lived, London restaurant Pharmacy sold tonight for £11.1m (€15.9m) at auction.

KRIS KIN has hardly been lauded as one of the great Derby winners but the Epsom hero can prove himself a champion in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot today.