Sport in brief: Dredge spurred on by race for Ryder Cup place

Bradley Dredge, who dreams of playing in the Ryder Cup on home soil next year, has given himself the chance to make a great start in the points race.

Back on the Crans-sur-Sierre course in Switzerland where he had his last win three years ago, the 36-year-old Welshman hit a second round of 65 yesterday to move one shot behind South African Thomas Aiken at the Omega European Masters.

Wales will be staging the Ryder Cup for the first time at Celtic Manor in 13 months' time and Dredge said: "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Ryder Cup is my goal – that's it – and while I've had a disappointing year so far the season starts here." This is the first qualifying event for the European side and Dredge is nine under par at halfway. Aiken's 64 took him to 10 under, but overnight leaders Brett Rumford, of Australia, and Simon Dyson, of England, both failed to make further progress.

Carousel Quest edges Townend closer to top prize

Oliver Townend holds the advantage at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials after the dressage phase yesterday on Carousel Quest. The lovely 14-year-old grey gelding was the only horse to break the 40 barrier, finishing on a score of 39.8 penalties – 5.2pts ahead of New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson on Nereo, a horse for whom he has great high hopes. Another New Zealander, Caroline Powell, is lying third on the remarkably consistent Lenamore. Apart from the £50,000 first prize at Burghley, Townend has his eyes on the $150,000 (£90,000) that goes to the winner of the HSBC Classics series for which he holds the lead. Burghley and the French four-star event at Pau next month are the last two events.

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials: 1 Carousel Quest (O Townend, GB) 39.8 penalties; 2 Nereo (A Nicholson, NZ) 45.00; 3 Lenamore (C Powell, NZ) 45.2; 4 Truluck (P Dutton, US) 45.3; 5 Crown Farm Consort (J-P Sheffield, GB) 46.5; 6 Leprince des Bois (K Ruder, Ger) 46.7.

Genevieve Murphy at Burghley