The perceived wisdom is that if a trainer thinks he has a cluster of Derby contenders, then he hasn’t any. Perhaps there is something in the theory; Aidan O’Brien’s three winners of the premier Classic – Galileo, High Chaparral and Camelot – were respectively accompanied to post by zero, two and one stablemates. And the scattergun years – there were eight Ballydoyle runners in 2007, for instance, and six in 2009 – have tended to yield only minor placings.

Latics stunned Manchester City at Wembley

Another day, another Derby trial won by Aidan O'Brien. After Ruler Of The World and Magician at Chester, it was the turn of Nevis at Lingfield to confirm that the Ballydoyle team at least have quantity on their side in the run-up to Epsom, even if its quality will not be defined until the day itself, 1 June. It is a fair assumption, though, that Nevis will not be carrying the Co Tipperary stable's first colours; he won by nine lengths yesterday, but then so he should have, as his opposition was rendered negligible by the late withdrawal of the strongly fancied Greatwood.

Cumani colt can prove Classic credentials against dominance of O’Brien contenders

It is very easy to get swept away with dreams for a ‘Naya Pakistan’, yet the result of the elections could not be more important for both Pakistan and the wider world

Alice Jones' Arts Diary

Ask any test group of subjects to describe the attributes of a ‘perfect’ female physique and they will put together a composite image of…Barbie

A comedian uses the word n*****. This is the big problem? Are we really not giving any credence to context?

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has attacked a Conservative council for spending money on a motivational magician while announcing cuts in other areas.

Staged by Irish choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan for Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, The Rite of Spring suggests a late and shivery spring, rather like this year’s. Created in 2009 and revised for this revival, Keegan-Dolan’s Rite returns as part of the centenary celebrations for Stravinsky’s iconic ballet, which had its riotous first performance in 1913.

Endeavour, Sun, ITV / Isaac Newton: The Last, Magician, Fri, BBC2

There has not been much animal magic in this year's Britain's Got Talent after a string of pet performers failed to live up to the success of last year's winners - dog trick act Ashleigh and Pudsey.

Clayton Rawson started studying to be a magician when he was eight. Later he put his magic skills into practice by penning the excellent Death From A Top Hat. His detective is self-taught, one of those louche interferers the police had no trouble allowing on to crime scenes in the inter-war period. The Great Merlini runs a magic shop, but his knowledge of optical trickery and mental misdirection alert him to the craftiness of thieves and murderers. He appeared in four novels and four collections of short stories.

The Young Magician of the Year contest is back, and Jonathan Owen finds that hocus-pocus is on a new high