“It’s an honour and a privilege even to be playing on the same table as Stephen,” said the pre-tournament 40-1 outsider before picking up a winner’s cheque for £260,000 shortly after midnight “It means the world to me have done this. It’s what I’ve been working for and dreaming about for 17 years. I must be a slow learner.” Hendry said afterwards that he himself had “bottled” two chances to win the deciding frame, which was a harsh self-judgement, of a clincher where Ebdon got a decisive 59 break from awkwardly placed balls “I’m absolutely gutted,” he said. The 31-year-old father of four from Wellingborough, who will release a long-planned pop record later this year, called Fall of Paradise, had started the day half way to that destination.

Record maker Peter Ebdon beat record breaker Stephen Hendry 18-17 in a nerve-racking but enthralling Embassy World Championship final here late last night, only the third finale ­ after Dennis Taylor’s epic win in 1985 and Hendry’s against Jimmy White in 1994 ­ to go the full distance. Seamus Heffernan will ride as Michael Kinane is booked for Longchamp.Both Hawk Wing and Rock Of Gibraltar have come out of Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas well and could meet again before the end of the month in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh. Though Rock Of Gibraltar has now won both their encounters (he was also ahead in last year’s Group Three Railway Stakes at the Curragh) there seems a consensus that Hawk Wing is the better.The official handicapper further subscribed to the view yesterday. There was even talk of the Italian Guineas after a Nottingham maiden win, though the temperatures had cooled by the time he provided another thorough display at Newmarket.Aidan O’Brien’s High Chapparal, who was replaced as Derby favourite by Hawk Wing over the weekend, has the chance to reassert his Blue Riband credentials on Sunday in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.The winner of the Racing Post Trophy on his final start as a juvenile won the Listed Ballysax Stakes on his reappearance and is advancing along the route of the last two Derby winners – Galileo and Sinndar. But the six-year-old has won here, has sunk to a mark from which victorious previously and will be a holiday brochure price.The best bet on the card comes from another stalwart yard at the May meeting. The Wraggs, from Harry to young Geoffrey, have always done well on the banks of the Dee.

He is drawn No 3, near the fence, and is guaranteed to get their with his early pace. J R Stevenson (3.25) can be little more than a speculative suggestion considering his wins-to-runs ratio. Barry does not come to Cheshire just for the cheese, though he probably takes a chunk with his port when he stays locally with Lord McAlpine (Bobby to Barry).Mark Johnston’s Fight Your Corner was perhaps the best of today’s field as a two-year-old, courtesy of his successes in the Listed Autumn Stakes at Ascot and the starting ground of the stars, the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes at Newbury. Chester racecourse is proud of its records. It is the oldest, smallest and tightest track in the land and the possessor of a run-in of only 230 yards, the shortest in Britain

Chester racecourse is proud of its records. Murphy, the Welsh indoor record holder, finished fourth behind Jamaica’s Michelle Collins, who won in 50.43 seconds, La Tasha Colander, who clocked 50.84 in second, and American Suziann Reid, third in 51.46.
Murphy, whose previous outdoor best was 51.84, had the satisfaction of defeating the Commonwealth champion, Sandie Richards, who finished behind her in 51.81 seconds – and was 0.20 seconds inside the British qualifying standard for the European Championships in Munich.The 26-year-old is clearly over the disappointment of failing to win a medal at the European Indoor Championships in March.

Catherine Murphy clinched the European Championships qualifying standard when running a personal best time of 51.50 seconds at the Brazilian Grand Prix. His great fear, be sure is not death or defeat, but of being seen to be naked.. His consolation will be that he will have everyone’s attention come 8 June. Lewis, being Lewis, the jump will, however, be relatively modest. He will talk about his mission in boxing, the latest challenge of which is the removal of Tyson from the consideration of civilised society, and this no doubt will create a few yawns. “This,” says Majeski, “could very well be an absolute disaster.