Advanced Section Two: 1 State Diplomat K Gifford GB 47 2 Man of Stars B Davidson US

Advanced Section Two: 1 State Diplomat (K Gifford GB) 47; 2 Man of Stars (B Davidson, US) 50; 3 Normandy Faer (M Ryan, Aus) 51.. Some people never know when to give up. Just as the team that tried to raise the Titanic started talking about a fresh attempt next year, so the racing industry continues to consider how to salvage Sunday racing as a vessel that off-course punters would be happy to climb aboard. On Saturday, she had ridden Harbinger (previously trained as a steeplechaser by her father, Josh Gifford) to win the British Intermediate Championship.LAND ROVER BRITISH HORSE TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIPS (Gatcombe Park, Glos) Final results: British Open Championship: 1 King William (M King, GB) 47 penalties; 2 King Solomon III (M King, GB) 51; 3 Dawdle (A Nicholson, NZ) 52. But the finest round of all came from 17-year-old Song and Dance Man, the mount of Kristina Gifford, who bowled round the cross-country course in the fastest time of all.Earlier, Gifford achieved the second leg of a double when she won an advanced section on the seven-year-old State Diplomat. This mistake was entirely due to inexperience on the part of the talented seven-year- old horse.Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand eventually filled third place on Dawdle - who is by the stallion, Saunter, and certainly no slow-coach. The latest reminder of this flaw came in Atlanta, where William had eight fences down.Yesterday, in the more relaxed atmosphere of Gatcombe, King William had the best dressage score followed by a single error in the show jumping and he was lying third at the start of the cross-country.King's only worrying moment on the bay gelding came between the second and third fences when she hit her knee on a tree ("I thought, please don't fall off") but the horse sailed over all the fences.King Solomon, who was slower than William, retained second place after Rainbow Magic (who had been in the lead with Pippa Funnell) had a refusal going into the Land Rover Splash, the 22nd of 27 fences.

There will be no more major three-day events for the 13-year-old, whose show jumping has proved so distressingly fallible in the big-time atmosphere. For good measure she also filled second place on the promising eight-year-old King Solomon III, becoming the first rider to receive the top two prizes. King won the title in 1990 on King Boris and 1991 on King William, who is now to become her fun horse. Replacements: G Taylor (Northland) for I Jones, 52; A Ieremia (Wellington) for Cullen, 68.Referee: D Bevan (Wales).. Equestrianism Mary King regained the British Open title when she rode her Olympic mount, King William, to victory at the Land Rover British Horse Trials Championships yesterday.

Replacements: F van Heerdon (Western Province) for Andrews, 39; J Stransky (Western Province) for Mulder, 46; G Pagel (Western Province) for Theron 66; W Fyvie (Natal) for Venter.NEW ZEALAND: C Cullen (Manawatu); J Wilson (Otago), F Bunce (North Harbour), W Little (North Harbour), G Osborne (North Harbour); A Mehrtens (Canterbury), J Marshall (Canterbury); O Brown (Auckland), S Fitzpatrick (Auckland), C Dowd (Auckland), I Jones (North Harbour), R Brooke (Auckland), J Kronfeld (Otago), M Jones (Auckland), Z Brooke (Auckland). It was Joubert who set up the first try, in the 25th minute, as a cutback at pace allowed Van der Westhuizen to score under the posts. Thirteen minutes later Joubert added a penalty but an opportunist try by Sean Fitzpatrick on the stroke of half-time gave the All Blacks hope. Joubert, however, in the 46th minute took a Ruben Kruge pass to score at the corner.Moments later, Van der Westhuizen caught the New Zealanders unawares with a short tap penalty to score again and when Joubert kicked his third penalty in the 56th minute to give South Africa a 32-8 lead it looked over. But New Zealand scored late tries from Walter Little and Justin Marshall.South Africa: Tries van der Westhuizen (2), Joubert; Conversion Honiball; Penalties Honiball 2, Joubert 3.New Zealand: Tries Fitzpatrick, Little, Marshall; Conversions Mehrtens (2); Penalty Mehrtens.SOUTH AFRICA: A Joubert (Natal); J Swart (Western Province), J Mulder (Transvaal), D van Schalwyk (Northern Transvaal), P Hendriks (Transvaal), H Honiball (Natal), J van der Westhuizen (Northern Transvaal); M Hurter (Northern Transvaal), J Dalton (Transvaal), D Theron (Griqualand West); M Andrews (Natal), K Wiese (Transvaal); A Venter (OFS), R Kruger (Northern Transvaal), G Teichmann (Natal). Replacement: M Horne for Geoghegan 65.Referee: S Piercy (Yorkshire). South Africa 32 New Zealand 22 Andrew Mehrtens and New Zealand must have dreaded the moment.

Back in Johannesburg for the first time since losing the World Cup Final to South Africa last year - the same Ellis Park crowd, the same competitive Springbok side, even the same referee, Derek Bevan of Wales. Their failure this time was a compliment to a committed South African side driven on by Andre Joubert and Joost van der Westhuizen. Replacement: R Hanson for Worsley 16.Bath: J Callard; S Geoghegan, J Guscott, M Perry, A Adebayo; M Catt, A Nicol; D Hilton, G Adams, V Ubogu, M Haag, N Redman, R Webster, E Peters, A Robinson. Callard kicked three important penalties in the opening 12 minutes of the second half to guarantee victory, and when the deluge arrived the Orrell forwards were simply washed away.Orrell: Tries Tuigamala, Heslop; Penalty Botica.Bath: Tries Nicol, Webster, Geoghegan, Horne, Catt, Haag; Conversions Callard (4); Penalties Callard (5); Drop Goal Catt.Orrell: R Hitchmough; J Naylor, D Lyon, L Tuigamala, N Heslop; F Botica, S Cook; M Worsley, A Moffat, S Turner, C Cusani, P O'Neill, A Bennett, A MacFarlane, J Huxley. The deep end holds no fears for him, though, and the way he left Jon Callard for dead in a blistering late run to the posts merely underlined his potential.For all that, his will be a wasted talent without the ball. With Richard Webster in powerful shape on his return to Union and Dave Hilton shunting an inexperienced Orrell front row every which way, Bath were always in control. And how long will advertisers and sponsors settle for a television audience that struggles to exceed six figures?For Wray, however, it remains a rosy picture, the car parks full on Saturday, an attendance of around 6,000 - five times more than Saracens could count on at Southgate "There is still a lot to be done," he said. Not for Lynagh the notion that north London is a comfortable pasture in which to contemplate retirement.Here was an outstanding footballer living up to his reputation, providing his team-mates with unquestionable proof of integrity.