Lewis Hamilton, who leads the world championship by just three points from McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, will start fourth on the grid behind the Spaniard. It is the third time this season Raikkonen has qualified on pole for Ferrari, and 13th of his career, with the Finn now firmly in the driving seat for a third successive victory on this track.

STONER SMOKES OUT OPPOSITION IN ESTORIL World championship leader Casey Stoner continued his domination of this year's MotoGP series by claiming provisional pole position for today's Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. The 21-year-old Australian posted a best time of one minute 37.95 seconds aboard his Marlboro Ducati to lead the "eld by just under 0.4secs ahead of the surprise "gure of Tech 3 Yamaha rider Makoto Tamada in second.

McILLROY THROUGH QUALIFYING SCHOOL Walker Cup players Lloyd Saltman and Rory McIlroy safely came through the first stage of the European Tour's qualifying school at The Oxfordshire. Rising Irish star McIlory carded a 72 for an eight-under total and came through comfortably in a share of 13th. Scottish rookie Saltman hit a closing one-under 71 for a 10-under aggregate of 278 which left him in a share of seventh.

BAGHDATIS CRASHES OUT OF CHINA OPEN Defending champion Marcos Baghdatis crashed out of the China Open on Friday following a 6-4 4-6 76 (7/5) loss to fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-finals. It was the first defeat for the fifth-seeded Cypriot in eight career matches at the hardcourt event in Beijing.

Croatian Ljubicic will now face Fernando Gonzalez in the semis.

GERMANY LEADS BRITAIN IN DRESSAGE Germany had a slender lead over reigning champions Britain after the dressage phase of the European Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy.

Reigning champion Zara Phillips, on Toytown, is third in the individual standings, behind Germany's Bettina Hoy on Ringwood Cockatoo and France's 2003 champion Nicolas Touzaint on Galan de Sauvagere.

LIVELY LEINSTER HAMMER PADOVA Leinster cruised to an emphatic 663 victory over Padova in UCD Bowl, Belfield, yesterday to conclude their pre-season campaign on a winning note. Gary Brown bagged a first-half hat-trick of tries while Luke Fitzgerald and replacement Fergus McFadden chipped in with a brace each as Leinster dominated the Italian side practically from the off.

Cian Healy and Brian Blaney also crossed over while Jonathan Sexton impressed with a 21-point tally which included a try.

WONDERFUL WOODS STUNS HIS FELLOW PROS Tiger Woods' efforts had the admiration of his fellow competitors as he produced a stunning front nine to build a three-shot lead after the second round of the �3.4million Tour Championship. Steve Stricker watched Woods scorch the front nine in 28 strokes during the second round in Atlanta.

Woods was seven under par in a six-hole stretch starting at number four, as he went birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle at East Lake. "It was unbelievable what he was doing, " Stricker said. "He's making it from everywhere. He holes a bunker shot. What can you do? I have it inside him a couple of times and I walk off with a par and he makes birdie."

McGINLEY IMPRESSES IN COLOGNE Paul McGinley boosted his slim chances of a Seve Trophy pick when he blasted a bogey-free 67 in the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne. The 40-year-old Dubliner improved by 12 shots on his second round 79 when he hit "ve birdies in his "rst ten holes at Gut Larchenhof to get back to level par. But that still left him 12 shots behind Danes Thomas Bjorn and Soren Hansen, who hit rounds of 66 and 71 to lead on 12 under par. McGinley will need another sensational performance today if he is land one of Great Britain and Ireland skipper Nick Faldo's two wildcards for the Seve Trophy at The Heritage in two weeks' time.