Horse Racing: Jockey Danny Mullins picked up a 14-day suspension at Bellewstown on Friday evening in unusual circumstances. Barry Connell’s retained rider had pulled up on his mount Private Treasure in the Anglo Printers Novice Hurdle but decided to drive the ambulance back to the weighing room. Mullins explained to the stewards that he felt assistance was slow in coming forward and that in the heat of the moment he jumped into the Order of Malta vehicle so that he had time to weigh out for the following race.

Basket, NBA: The tug-of-war between five teams to sign Dwight Howard finally ended yesterday when the seven-time All-Star centre confirmed he would leave Los Angeles Lakers to join Houston Rockets. Free agent Howard, who had also been courted by Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors, favoured a move to Houston despite the prospect of a substantial pay-cut. He would have been eligible to sign for five years and $118 million with Los Angeles or four years and $88 million with any other team. Howard’s arrival in Houston makes the Rockets genuine contenders for the Western Conference title next season.

Cricket: Australia were left frustrated in their final warm-up game before this week’s Ashes test opener with England, failing to beat Worcestershire as the match ended in a tame draw on Friday. Australia, needing nine more wickets on the fourth and final day, had set Worcester an almost impossible target of 457 and the county side easily held out, largely due to 19-year-old Tom Fell’s unbeaten 62 in their closing 274-5. With England, who beat Essex last week, and Australia having finished their warm-ups attention now turns to Trent Bridge, Nottingham, where the first test gets underway on Wednesday.