Protected birds earn reprieve after sudden U-turn

Camelot so bestrides the Investec Derby that some bookmakers now offer odds that would qualify him as the hottest favourite since Tudor Minstrel was beaten at 4-7 in 1947. Only 11 other colts were left in the race yesterday, four of them from the same stables in Co Tipperary, and he is just 8-13 with Betfred to win on Saturday.

O'Brien contender looks value as Bolger preps his Derby hope on seasonal debut in Irish Guineas

Matthew Kelly, known to everyone as Paddy, was born in Dublin on 6 January 1916. His father, Laurence, served with the Machine Gun Corps on the Western Front and was killed at Ypres in 1917. Paddy's mother, Ellen, remarried after the war – and Paddy, one of seven children, spent an idyllic childhood having Huckleberry Finn-style adventures with his brother Terry.

It took two lords, cloaks and daggers to find Britain's best hope of Olympic showjumping gold in 60 years

One of the British Turf's most gratifying rituals is to observe the runners strolling around the parade ring before its greatest race. This time round, however, it may prove so revealing that the actual running of the Investec Derby could itself obtain a somewhat ceremonial quality. For if the herd leader is usually identified at the Epsom winning post, some subtle obeisance might be discernible even before the colts are saddled a fortnight tomorrow.

The track for all seasons comes to the rescue today, when the Classic trials at Lingfield are switched from a saturated turf course to the adjacent all-weather circuit. And while they duly lose much of their pertinence to Epsom, usually ascribed to the hill, for much the same reason they are arguably rather stronger than in recent years.

Those unlucky enough to have missed out on London 2012 Olympics tickets twice may discover their fortunes have changed after organisers announced they will be given first bite at the remaining 900,000 seats on Friday morning.

The first 45 minutes of Spielberg's lavishly mounted adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel have all the bite of an episode of Heartbeat.

Born To Sea will test O'Brien's hot favourite as trainer aims for Newmarket Classic double

On the eve of the first Classic, Chris McGrath finds some lesser lights it will pay to follow

Organisers have cancelled this year's Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials after they accepted there was "no chance" of the ground drying out in time.

The Monk (101 mins, 15)