Champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa has been handed an 18-day suspension by the British Horseracing Authority over his use of the whip, six of which have been deferred.

John Oxx’s Akeed Mofeed is one of five new entries for the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 2.

Jeremy Noseda’s decision to fly Johnny Murtagh over to Lingfield yesterday to partner Valbchek suggested the colt took a high rank in his stable, and there was no reason to doubt the trainer after the Play Mobile Bingo With williamhillbingo.com Maiden Stakes.

Cathy Gannon has been given the all-clear to return to action on Friday after being sidelined for five months with a broken leg.

Cathy Gannon has taken encouragement from the return of her friendly rival Hayley Turner as she continues to make progress from her broken leg.

TONY MCCOY was one of nine jockeys at Wetherby hit with a 10-day suspension for failing to stop after a race had been voided yesterday.

Kieren Fallon pledged to concentrate every effort into securing a seventh jockeys’ title after riding his 100th winner of the season at Lingfield today.

A sleepy afternoon at Southwell at least provided a source of vitality for young jockey Jacob Moore today.

Cathy Gannon's positivity was rewarded when Spic 'N Span claimed a sixth course success at Southwell.

Viking Spirit has given his owners The Masterminds some wonderful memories and the veteran came good for the first time in more than two years at Brighton today.

HOPES have been raised of a rescue deal for a Fás-funded course after its cancellation left 32 young trainee jockeys in the lurch.

FÁS has been accused of dashing the dreams of 32 young apprentice jockeys after their training course was cancelled without notice.

ED McMahon is targeting some of the big sprint prizes with Astrophysical Jet next season after her triumph in the Goffs Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

LAST week a reader wrote to give me a fascinating account entitled, The Apprenticeship of Swallows, recounting the drama she saw unfold from her apartment window.

William Haggas will have a close look at the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday for Nosedive after his impressive performance in winning at Sandown.

Nosedive and Bikini Babe both produced impressive displays in the two-year-old races at Sandown that might well secure them trips to Royal Ascot next week for the Norfolk and Chesham Stakes respectively.

John Best is plotting a fruitful New Year with his quickly-progressing Lingfield winner Mr Willis

Trainer John Oxx, who leaves this morning for New York where he'll saddle Azamour for the Breeders Cup Turf at Belmont on Saturday, received a timely boost at the Curragh yesterday when Lifetime Romance, Artist's Muse and Redstone Dancer provided him with a treble.

THE season’s leading apprentice, Chris Hayes, achieved another milestone in his blossoming career when recording his first treble, at odd of 791/1, at Gowran Park last night.

RUBY WALSH was re-routed from Dublin airport to Gowran Park last night and delighted punters as he guided well-backed favourite Thunder Road to victory in the Gowran Park Charity Golf Classic Handicap Hurdle.

BEHKIYRA is set to line up for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh in two weeks time following a classy performance in the Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick last night.

FRANCES CROWLEY, looking forward to running Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Saoire in tomorrow's Pretty Polly at the Curragh, teamed up with husband, Pat Smullen, to take the Town and District Professionals Handicap with Hanicor at Tipperary last night.

TRAINER Sean Treacy enjoyed a welcome turn at Limerick last night when Shersha proved too strong for odds-on favourite Macduff in the Budweiser Race.

DOLLARS ROCK, carrying the colours of the nine-member W G Hill Syndicate from Watergrasshill, Co Cork, streaked away with the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap at Limerick last night.

FRAN BERRY moved to within one of pace-setting 13 times champion Michael Kinane in the Jockeys Championship table when sharing the riding honours with Niall McCullagh ay Navan yesterday, each rider completing a double.

Teams skippered by Frankie Dettori and Johnny Murtagh will go head-to-head in the inaugural running of the MD Betting Ireland v Britain Jockeys Challenge at the Curragh on Sunday.

JOHNNY EGAN made a successful first visit to Cork Racecourse yesterday when guiding Slip Dance to a smooth victory in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Race.

KIEREN FALLON has admitted it was a tough decision to quit his job with Michael Stoute and take up the position as retained jockey at Ballydoyle.

Jockey Cathy Gannon was named Irish sportswoman of the year today as President Mary McAleese paid tribute to the country’s sporting heroines.

JAMIE SPENCER celebrated his first Jockeys Championship by recording a double on Gypsy King and Yehudi on the final day of the 2004 Flat season at Leopardstown yesterday.

AN apple never falls far from a tree!

PURPLE SPIRIT can consolidate Cathy Gannon’s position at the top of the apprentice championship by taking the Guillamene Maiden at Tramore this afternoon.

TRAINER Noel Meade dominated yesterday’s action at Roscommon when recording an over 276/1 treble, thanks to the exploits of Always, Mullacash and Guantama Bay.

PEINEVE is a hopeful nap selection to complete a hat-trick of successes in the Harp Lager Handicap at Listowel this afternoon.

MICHAEL O’BRIEN and the irresistible Ruby Walsh combined to win their first Guinness Kerry National at Listowel yesterday with the six-year-old, Banasan.

TARAKALA, the only three-year-old in the field, can strike a blow for the younger generation by landing the Listed Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick tonight.

THE layers again took on another of Aidan O’Brien’s juveniles – the Storm Cat colt Dark Cheetah – in the Fermoy Maiden at Cork last night.

RUBY WALSH and Willie Mullins, who have enjoyed a fine week, can team up to take the RFL Steel Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon with Major Burns.

ONE intrepid layer went 1-2 Aidan O’Brien’s newcomer, In Excelsis, in the Irish Stallion Farms’ Maiden at Tipperary last night and was quickly accommodated.

BOOKMAKER reaction to Grey Swallow’s narrow defeat of Meath in the 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown yesterday was to largely leave his price for the English 2000 Guineas unchanged.

Michael Kinane signed off as stable jockey to Aidan O’Brien with a double for the Ballydoyle trainer on the last day of the Irish Flat season at Leopardstown yesterday.

Michael Kinane celebrated his 13th Irish jockeys’ championship with a brilliant 355-1 four-timer on the last day of the season at Leopardstown today.

PAUDIE O’CONNOR, who took out a licence six months ago, saddled his first winner when 14-1 shot Beale Hill landed the Liscahill Bumper at Thurles yesterday.

THURLES has a disappointing appearance this afternoon with three largely impossible-to-solve handicaps, a bumper for horses who have never run and a two-horse race making up the bulk of the programme.

Aidan O’Brien today confirmed he will have five runners at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita in California next Saturday.

THERE was an unusual sequel to the second division of the Plant Hire Maiden at Listowel yesterday when Robbie Burke objected to the start of the contest.

JOHNNY MURTAGH, back racing at Limerick last evening after a 22 day absence, had mixed luck.

CHAMPION jockey Paul Carberry took the honours at yesterday’s bank holiday meeting at Naas, registering a double on Alpha Rhythm and Harry The Ear in the two hurdle events on the card.