Ruby Walsh hopes to continue to play a part for Willie Mullins' stable after he stunned the racing world when announcing his retirement from the saddle at Punchestown.

Jonny Bairstow's irresistible late hitting gave England a telling advantage as they wrapped up a 2-0 Royal London Series success with an 85-run win over Ireland at Lord's.

A former BBC employee carried out a "persistent, repeated and unwanted sexual harassment" of a woman while he worked for the company more than 30 years ago, a British court has been told.

The 42-year-old’s trial was in its sixth day at the Central Criminal Court.

THE story of the Hales brothers involved two cataclysmic events that had profound impacts on the Civil War in 1922. 

England broke the world record for the highest one-day international total after racking up 444 for three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge yesterday.

A father-of-two who fell asleep in traffic with a loaded gun on his lap after he had been drinking has been jailed in England.

A man jailed for life for the murder of Jonathan Duke in Bandon, Co Cork, five years ago has moved to appeal his conviction.

Despite being cleared of any dereliction of duty, the failure of the Cork Brigade to take part in the rebellion weighed heavily on the minds of Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney, writes Gerry White

Jockey Jack Kennedy once again showed his burgeoning talent in best light when recording a near 60-1 double yesterday afternoon at Cork racecourse.

Leading owner John Hales is already dreaming of a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup tilt with Aux Ptits Soins after the French import starred in a treble for Paul Nicholls by landing the Coral Cup.

Gold Cup hero Lord Windermere is on course to have his final outing before the defence of his Cheltenham crown in Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, where he will face eight possible rivals.

Long Run is to travel north of the border for the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase later this week as connections head to Kelso in search of better ground.

Michael Moynihan meets one of the stars of Waterford’s last All-Ireland MHC title success recalls a special day.

The Tony Martin-trained Green Dragon was the medium of a minor touch in the TipperaryRaces.ie Maiden Hurdle at Tipperary last night.

Trainer Paul Nicholls was last evening dealt a huge double injury blow by the news Big Buck’s and Al Ferof are set to miss the rest of the season.

Kauto Star may be nicely tucked up in his box enjoying retirement, but Paul Nicholls could still have an embarrassment of riches come Boxing Day at Kempton.

Another of John Hales’ army of greys handed Paul Nicholls the last of jumping racing’s major prizes to have eluded him as Al Ferof took the starring role in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

It isn’t just Prince who’s sitting up and taking notice of the singer some are claiming is the heir to Amy Winehouse, writes Ed Power

JIM DREAPER’S Mobile Sizer, having only a second outing and a first over jumps, took the first division of the two mile Maiden Hurdle at Tipperary last night.

A man and woman facing double murder charges after two bodies were recovered from a West Cork river have been returned for trial.

A father and daughter are still critically ill in hospital after they were shot in north Belfast yesterday.

A father and his teenage daughter were shot in an ambush in the North today.

Knocknacurra on the upmarket Blackrock Road is twice its original size and stylishly refitted, says Tommy Barker.

ALEX HALES is planning a crack at the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National with recent Ascot winner Iconoclast.

NOLAND may be retired if he puts in a second successive poor performance in the Aon Chase at Newbury today.

Neptune Collonges earned himself the right to at least another supporting role in the Gold Cup after the often-discounted grey returned to the winner’s enclosure for the first time in nearly two years in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham.

WESTERN LEADER stamped himself as one of the most exciting young horses in the country with a breathtaking display to land the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

A few outings over fences were originally designed as a way for Henry Daly to get Mighty Man fit to challenge for a third Liverpool Hurdle, but his nimble round of jumping at Huntingdon on Wednesday suggested he may even have found his true calling.

IRELAND will be once again on the outside looking in at a major tournament after Argentina dashed their slim hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup with a crushing 4-0 win in Quilmes.

TERRIFIED patients and staff fled as a man went on a shooting rampage at a US hospital, killing two colleagues, then himself.

Terrified patients and staff fled as a man went on a shooting rampage at a hospital, killing two fellow employees, then himself.

Neptune Collonges will be out of action for a year after he was thought to have suffered an injury in the totesport Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

Paul Nicholls plundered his second big prize at Doncaster in as many weeks when I’msingingtheblues landed the williamhill.com Handicap Chase.

Alan King can hope for continued support from powerful owner John Hales after coaxing a first career win from Cracboumwiz at Newbury.

Zaynar showed the market whispers to be right on the mark at Newbury as an emphatic jumping debut moved the grey to clear favourite in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

THERE were doubles for riders Benny Walsh and Ross O’Sullivan at the rescheduled Kildare Hunt point-to-point fixture at Punchestown racecourse yesterday.

Nodforms Paula created a fair impression when running out an easy winner of the State Rox Off Novices' Hurdle at Doncaster.

Nodforms Paula created a fair impression when running out an easy winner of the State Rox Off Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster.

Noland emerged from almost two years on the sidelines to make a perfect start to his career over fences in the Folkestone Beginners' Chase at the Kent track today.

JAMIE SPENCER moved two ahead of Neil Callan in the race for the British jockeys’ championship with a stylish double on Windsor’s opening card of the season.

Timmy Murphy is riding at the top of his form and took his score in the past 15 days to 13 winners when completing a double on Supreme Catch and Tora Bora at Market Rasen.

Azertyuiop has been retired after failing to make a full recovery from injury.

SILENT OSCAR, taking a major drop in class, duly landed the Slievenamon Maiden Hurdle at a miserable Clonmel yesterday.

Paul Nicholls, the season’s leading trainer, got off to a winning start at the Cheltenham Festival as Noland took the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

CONNECTIONS of Azertyuiop have abandoned any hopes of the horse returning to action this season.

EDDIE HALES, based at Dundrum, Co Tipperary and one of the more colourful characters in the game, enjoyed a welcome turn when Public Reaction sprang a 16-1 surprise in the two mile October Race at Thurles yesterday.

PAUL NICHOLLS is still unsure whether his crack two-miler Azertyuiop will step up in distance for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

IRELAND have been relegated to Division B of the European Junior Ladies’ and U21 Men’s Championships for 2005 and 2006 following the conclusion of their respective championships at the weekend.