Michael Kinane rider of Pilsudski said: Helissio was simpy brilliant today

Michael Kinane, rider of Pilsudski, said: "Helissio was simpy brilliant today. He was just too good for us."Later, Peter Chapple-Hyam's Heron Island stayed on for third place in the Prix de Barbeville behind the easy winner Stretarez.n The Clive Brittain-trained, Brett Doyle-ridden Air Express, fourth in the Craven Stakes to Desert Story, won yesterday's Group Two Premio Parioli (Italian 2,000 Guineas) by a nose from Risiat in Rome yesterday. Paul Cole's Granny's Pet was fifth.n Mark Johnston, successful in the Grosser Preis der Amag Zurich (Swiss 2,000 Guineas) last year with Double Diamond, had to settle for third in the same race yesterday. His Polar Flight was beaten by the home-trained pair, Le Chevalier and Feliciano.RICHARD EDMONDSONNAP: Grey Kingdom(Pontefract 3.45)NB: Czarna(Pontefract 5.15). The Chilean Marcelo Rios ended Spanish dominance on clay so far this season when he beat Alex Corretja in straight sets to win the Monte Carlo Open yesterday. The 21-year-old Rios, seeded seventh, beat Corretja 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 for the most impressive victory of his career. Rios has won four previous ATP Tour events but none as important as the $2.3m (pounds 1.5m) clay-court tournament in the home town of the super rich. "I played well and had a great time in Monte Carlo all week - even if I lost some money at the casino," he said.As well as defeating Corretja, winner in Estoril two weeks ago, Rios had earlier disposed of Spain's Albert Costa, winner of the European season's second clay-court tournament in Barcelona last week.A semi-finalist here last year, Rios confirmed he would again be one of the players to watch on the slow surface after a lacklustre hard-court season in which he reached only one final, in Marseilles two months ago.A versatile player, as comfortable at the baseline as at the net, the Chilean mastered the windy conditions far better than Corretja, seeded 12th, who looked tired and made an unusual amount of unforced errors.

The most strongly contested game was the last in which Corretja, refusing to bow, saved four match points.Rios' task had been made easier by the early exit of the top seeds, Pete Sampras, Thomas Muster and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, but he will now fancy his chances in next month's French Open.n South Africa's Amanda Coetzer beat Sabine Appelmans, of Belgium, in straight sets in the final of the Budapest Open women's tournament yesterday. The second-seeded Coetzer played a consistent baseline game to win 6-1, 6-3 in an hour and seven minutes.. Reading and Teddington, who finished first and second in the National League, will contest the HA Cup final on 11 May following semi-final wins yesterday. Reading, defending their title, were in devastating form, winning 10- 1. St Albans never recovered from a brilliant move, started by Jon Wyatt, moved on by Simon Briscoe and covering some 70 yards that was finished off by Mark Pearn for the first of his three goals after three minutes. Scott Ashdown got the first of his two as the visitors were down to 10 men. Wyatt claimed a couple with Jon Slay, Jonny Loose and Mark Hoskin completing the scoring. Glenn Webster scored for St Albans, who had Webster and Owen Mackney under temporary suspension at the final whistle.Surbiton, down to a 23rd-minute penalty corner goal from Teddington's Philip McGuire, fought back strongly after the interval to equalise through Richard Elmitt.

But Teddington clawed their way back with McGuire scoring twice in the last three minutes to complete his hat-trick and ensure Teddington their fifth final appearance in six years. With Reading having already qualified for Europe next year, Teddington's 3-1 victory secured a place in the European Cup-Winners' Cup.Hampstead & Westminster and Chelmsford qualified for next season's National League following the Inter League play-offs, with Edgbaston and Loughborough Students playing off next Saturday for the third place.. The record for sailing round the world was under threat yesterday as the French skipper Olivier de Kersauson took 24 hours to travel 397 miles in the 90ft trimaran Sport-Elec. The target is the 74 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes and 22 seconds set by Sir Peter Blake and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in 1994 in the 92ft catamaran Enza. With 1,800 miles still to run, De Kersauson was around 36 hours ahead of schedule. However, the weather experts advising De Kersauson said yesterday they were having to "thread him through and around" a couple of low pressure systems to put him on top of the Atlantic Ridge.The former world 505 champion, Jeremy Robinson, flies out to Annapolis, Maryland, this week to take over as helmsman on the British Admiral's Cup team big boat, Graham Walker's Indulgence.