Britain's "other" state-backed lender, Royal Bank of Scotland, could have a new chief executive in place as soon as today. Talks are under way with regulators to secure approval for the promotion of its head of retail banking, Ross McEwan. He joined RBS, which is 81 per cent owned by the Government, last year.

A decision out of South Korea to use microchips designed in Cambridge rather than Kings Langley in Hertfordshire caused Imagination Technologies to tumble to the bottom spot on the mid cap index yesterday.

Neither trainer nor jockey has been in his service as long as others who could testify gratefully to the fidelity of their patron, but both left the sunshine and flowers of the July Course with optimism that Anjaal could yet seal their growing roles at the centre of Sheikh Hamdan's racing empire.

For anyone who has wondered quite how the British Turf continues to seduce investment from the Gulf, perhaps a day at the July Festival at Newmarket might prove every bit as instructive as one spent among the pomp and pageantry of Ascot or Epsom. At a time of year when their homelands seem most arid, the sheikhs find themselves driven through avenues of trees between green paddocks to a racecourse full of shade and flowers. And if the quality of the sport is mixed, with plenty of maidens and handicaps as ballast to the elite contests, then there will be a corresponding air of relaxation over the next three afternoons – not least granted the benign weather forecast.

Andy Murray’s stunning Wimbledon triumph may have hit bookmakers for £15 million, but there were few signs of profit warnings from the UK’s biggest listed layers today.

The media goes wild as Kate names a new cruise ship

Al Zarooni was found guilty of administering anabolic steroids to 15 horses

Trainer will stand before a disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday afternoon

High street bookmakers are to repay stakes placed on horses caught up in one of the biggest doping scandals in British racing history.

Joe Miller has been voted the prime Broadchurch suspect by Independent readers.

The fierce debate over the British and Irish Lions captaincy in Australia this summer turned full circle when a leading bookmaker suspended betting on Sam Warburton, the Wales flanker, who started the season as red-hot favourite before drifting towards outsider status as injury and poor form undermined his candidacy.

William Hill showed arch rival Ladbrokes a clean pair of heels today, reporting a boom in profits thanks to the success of its digital arm.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes took a pasting at the Cheltenham festival last month, and with 62 days of other race meetings lost to the freezing weather in the first quarter it warned profits this year will be at the lower end of forecasts.

We can only imagine how long ago five years seems to brilliant trainer