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While Ryan won’t be riding in this year’s Yorkshire Cup he has had a very good view of most of the runners and offers the following assessment on the 2012 running of this famous race

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Ryan Moore: My verdict on the 2012 Yorkshire Cup

The reigning champions have the experience but Ulster will be no pushovers

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Expect a tight Heineken Cup final between Leinster and Ulster

Timeform run the rule over the Yorkshire Cup, a highly competitive Group 2 contested over a mile and six furlongs on the Knavesmire…

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Timeform Daily: Yorkshire Cup, Friday, York 14:30

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, whose club are 11/8 with bet365 to retain their title, expects the Premier League champions to be relatively quiet in the transfer market this summer. The Citizens have spent heavily over the last three years to try and move into English football’s elite and the investment paid off at the weekend as they were crowned champions thanks to a last-gasp 3-2 win at home to QPR. City chairman Al-Mubarak said: “We have a championship-winning team. We are not starting from the same point as in other pre-seasons. “We have had to improve in a very dramatic manner, now we have a nucleus. To improve further we have to harness that nucleus.” Despite the City supremo appearing to rule out too many deals, the newly-crowned champions are favourites to land highly-rated Belgian forward Eden Hazard from Lille. Meanwhile, Manchester United chief executive David Gill says that the Old Trafford club have funds available to strengthen their squad as they bid to keep up with their neighbourhood rivals.

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Soccer – Quiet summer expected at City

Rafael Nadal is refusing to dwell on his defeat in Madrid last week as he prepares to open his account at the Rome Masters on Wednesday evening ( Nadal 5/6 fav Tournament Outright). The 25-year-old was a strong favourite to claim yet another title in the Spanish capital but failed to deal with the new blue clay surface and crashed out of the event at the third-round stage to Fernando Verdasco. He was clearly unhappy with the conditions and has, along with Novak Djokovic , threatened to boycott the tournament next year if it is not played on red clay. But traditional red clay will very much be under his feet when he takes on Florian Mayer in the second round of the Italian tournament in midweek ( Nadal 2-1 winner Set Betting 9/2 ). Nadal has now slipped to third in the world rankings, with Madrid winner Roger Federer leapfrogging the Majorcan, but victory this week in the Eternal City would see him back behind just Djokovic in the standings. And the six-time French Open champion insists that he is happy with his form and ready to continue his preparation for yet another tilt at Roland Garros glory in a couple of weeks’ time (Nadal Evens French Open Outright). “I will try my best to play my best and if I am able to do that I will have my chances to have a good result,” he said. “I will just try to play the same way I did in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The feeling is there and I am happy with how I am playing.” The talented left-hander also made it clear that he has now drawn a line under events in Spain and relishing the prospect of going after title number six in Rome.   “I don’t think about Madrid,” Nadal said. “I lost. But Rome is a tournament I love, one of my favourite tournaments of the year. I am just excited and motivated to come back here.”

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Nadal focused on Rome challenge

Aston Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner has revealed that he wants to install a new manager as soon as possible. Villa parted company with Alex McLeish on Monday after the former Birmingham City boss had spent less than 12 months at the club. McLeish presided over Villa’s worst ever Premier League season as they finished just two points above the relegation places. Norwich boss Paul Lambert is 7/4 with bet365 to be the next manager of Villa while Wigan Athletic’s Roberto Martinez can be backed at 7/2. “Obviously we made a decision very quickly at the end of the season on Alex, so now our aim is to bring somebody in as soon as we can,” said Faulkner. “We don’t want to hang around now.”

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Soccer – Villa seek quick appointment

England manager Roy Hodgson has included Andy Carroll, John Ruddy and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his 23-man squad for Euro 2012 but has omitted Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Tottenham defender Kyle Walker is out of the tournament, which England are 10/1 with bet365 to win while Spain can be backed at 5/2, after breaking a toe during Sunday’s 2-0 victory against Fulham. Norwich City goalkeeper Ruddy wins a call-up after enjoying a fine campaign for the Canaries in the Premier League and will provide back-up to Joe Hart and Rob Green. Carroll is included in the 23-man squad after hitting form in the last few weeks and wins a place ahead of Stoke City striker Peter Crouch. The only other strikers in the squad are Wayne Rooney – who is suspended for England’s first two matches at Euro 2012 – Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck.

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Soccer – Hodgson places faith in Carroll

West Indies have a host of injury problems as they prepare for the start of the first Test against England at Lord’s. Kemar Roach (ankle) and Ravi Rampaul (neck) both struggled during the recent defeat to the England Lions in Northampton, while Fidel Edwards is currently being troubled by a back problem. This means inexperienced duo Shannon Gabriel and Assad Fudadin could be handed Test debuts in a game the tourists are 9/1 with bet365 to win, while the draw is available at 14/5. Windies coach Ottis Gibson said: “Kemar Roach has twisted his left foot while Ravi Rampaul woke up with a stiff neck. “We have to be a little bit careful with Lord’s in mind. It is a bit of a disappointment they have not bowled much, but we are here to play Test matches and we hope it will be all right.”

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Cricket – Injuries hamper West Indies’ chances

There are a couple of Englishmen well worth keeping an eye on though

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Kaymer heads betting for the Volvo World Match Play

Andy Hamilton has warned his rivals not to count him out ahead of Thursday’s Premier League Darts play-offs (Hamilton 14/1 Outright Betting ). The Hammer was written off as a possible semi-finalist before a dart was even thrown this season but he defied the odds to finish third in the table and earn the right to play Simon Whitlock at the O2 Arena on Thursday evening ( Whitlock 1/2, Hamilton 6/4 Match Betting ). The Stoke-born star needed to win his final match of the regular season to progress to the finals night and he duly took care of Kevin Painter 8-1 to book his spot on the Greenwich peninsula. After losing four of his first six matches, Hamilton then lost just one of his remaining eight contests and became hard to beat with five draws. But he will have his work cut out against the Australian star, who finished second in the standings with seven wins and two draws and finished his league campaign with an 8-6 success over double world champion Adrian Lewis. Hamilton will take confidence from the fact that he drew one and won the other of his tussles with the man from Down Under and he is clearly in a confident mood ahead of the four-player shoot-out. Phil Taylor is the odds-on favourite to win the event with Hamilton expected to fall in the semis, but the Derby resident insists he will not be overawed by the occasion or the quality of his opponent. “I’ve earned the right to be in the top four and the semi-finals will be a battle again,” he said. “I’ve got nothing to lose and I’ve a lot to gain and on my day I can beat anyone. I know I can.”

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Hammer ready to strike