Question and Answer: Platform for your sporting queries

Q. Where does the terminology "The Sport of Kings" emanate from in reference to horse racing?

A. King Charles II began the whole business at Newmarket. Hence "The Sport of Kings". Of course, since then, many monarchs have owned and trained racehorses, not least the Queen and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at the present time. With them in mind, should it not be renamed the Sport of Queens?

Calvin Donnelly, Bury

ANSWERS PLEASE

Q. Vinnie Jones, the Queen's Park Rangers player-coach, seems to have begun a successful acting career with his cult hit film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Has any other British sportsman or woman made such a successful transition from the playing field to the silver screen?

Rupert Parrock London SE17

Q. Perusing at the Euro 2000 qualifying fixtures published in the Independent on Sunday (30 August) I noted that no fewer than five of England's eight matches are to be played on Saturdays. Traditionally, England's qualifying matches for European Championships and World Cups have been played on Wednesday nights. Why the switch? Surely it can not be helpful for Football League attendances to have important England matches played on the same day as a full Nationwide League programme and televised live?

Alan Davison, Darlington

Q. It is often said of Dean Saunders, the Wales international forward, that he has had "more clubs than Jack Nicklaus". In fact, he has played for 10 clubs - Swansea City, Cardiff City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Oxford United, Derby County, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Galatasaray (Turkey), Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United - during a 16-year professional career. Can any current player beat that record for nomadic existence for a professional footballer

David Williams

Newport, Gwent