Outright favourite Ballymac Matt produced another faultless display, when posting the fastest time of the second round of the Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby on Saturday night at Shelbourne Park.

The quarter-finals of the Laurels take centre stage tonight at Curraheen and Ballymac Alamo can make the most of a favourable draw in the first heat.

Barefoot Apollo became the standard setter during an eventful second stage of the Irish Laurels on Saturday night at Curraheen Park.

The draw for the 2015 Irish Laurels was made yesterday afternoon at Curraheen Park and, despite concerns of a lack of numbers, management have brought together 66 greyhounds for Saturday night’s opening round.

That oh-so-game, gallant and classy Sidarian Blaze added the Dandelion Bar and Nightclub Easter Cup to his burgeoning trophy cabinet with a smashing display in Saturday night’s final at Shelbourne Park.

There was drama in the second round of the Easter Cup on Saturday night at Shelbourne Park, as Derby champ Laughil Blake exited the competition after finding trouble at the first turn in a red-hot third heat.

You may have noticed a number of changes to starting times at the tracks around the country in the last week or so. According to the board, this is to facilitate the use of the pictures in different sites around the world.

John Cleary’s message is simple — with the Clarke Cup comes no guarantee of future riches.

Paradise Madison’s ability remains fully intact and the Derby is now firmly in his sights.

By trainer Paul Hennessy’s own admission, Priceless Sky is not very well known on the Open Race circuit but heading into Saturday night’s semi-finals of the Kerry Agribusiness St Leger, he’s vying for outright favouritism with Derby winner Skywalker Puma and former Puppy Derby winner Sparta Maestro.

One of the great trackers of modern times, Late Late Show sadly passed away on Thursday evening, just days before his 14th birthday.

Tomorrow evening Waterford or Tipperary will send a captain forward to raise the Munster Hurling Cup, assuming there is no draw.

There could hardly have been a better line-up for the Betfair 600 final, which will be featured on RTE’s first live telecast of the year on Saturday night from Shelbourne.

Many of Ireland’s fastest and most powerful trackers will be put to the test when they line up for tonight’s opening round of the Betfair 600.

Betting exchange company Betfair plan to make a splash with their initial foray into major greyhound racing sponsorship this weekend.

No greyhound competition in this country can boast a record quite like the Easter Cup. It was the first event ever run at Shelbourne Park and it was set up to commemorate the Easter Rising in Dublin.

The semi-finals of the Easter Cup headline proceedings at Shelbourne Park tonight and the second of the two heats should be particularly informative, with SIS Live Gold Cup champion Piercestown Sand taking on Derby champ Razldazl George and a seemingly resurgent Tyrur Big Mike, amongst others.

Broadstrand Lad and Tyrur Big Mike may have turned four years of age last weekend, but the two brilliant performers retain every ounce of their ability if their latest displays in the Easter Cup are an accurate indication.

The old adage “there’s life in the old dog yet” was pretty appropriate at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night as the veteran pairing of Broadstrand Lad and Tyrur Big Mike impressed in the second round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup.

Except for a few high profile absentees most of the big names will be chasing the €25,000 prize when the classic commences at Shelbourne on Saturday.

You could call this weekend the calm before the storm but it will still be a busy few days with top action at a number of venues.

Thankfully, the top class action on the greyhound front never seems to abate and in just a couple of weeks’ time we’ll have the opening round of the Tote Gold Cup.

BLARNEY trainer John Linehan enjoyed his best season as a trainer last year and 2012 has got off to a smashing start also.

THE summer staging of the London Olympics and the Euro Championships have had the combined effect of making the early season build-up to the English Derby a rather rushed affair.

DOLORES Ruth’s magnificent year continued at Shelbourne Park when she was presented with the Irish Greyhound Review Personality of the Year Award.

MILLDEAN Panther was yesterday withdrawn from the Comerford Cakes National Puppy Stake at Shelbourne Park and has been retired for the winter.

REACTING yesterday to the stories that Milldean Panther had been sold, John O’Flynn Snr yesterday categorically denied that any deal has been done or will be done in the future.

A LOOK through the betting lists for the Ladbrokes.com Derby suggests that Dolores Ruth is in a stronger position than any of her counterparts to lift the prize.

HAVING completed an historic Cesarewitch double earlier in the year, Definate Opinion completed yet another amazing double at Dundalk last night when retaining his Boylesports Champion Stakes title in tremendous fashion.

IT has been a mixed week for PJ Fahy and his son Conor but they can reap the benefit of their Wimbledon controversy in tonight’s opening round of the Hegarty Bookmakers Open 600 at Shelbourne Park.

The appointment of Phil Meaney as Chairman of Bord na gCon, as exclusively reported in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, was confirmed yesterday morning by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney.

DOLORES Ruth is responsible for the favourite in both semi-finals of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park this evening and while both look likely to qualify for next week's final they will need to be on their toes to emerge on top this evening.

It’s another very exciting week with top class open racing at many venues.

THE anticipated announcement of the new chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board didn’t materialise yesterday but word is now expected before the end of the week.

FEARS that the current economic problems would decimate the sponsorship scene have proved unfounded and there was double good news this week with confirmation that existing sponsorship of the Easter Cup at Shelbourne and the Produce Stakes at Clonmel is to continue this year.

TYRUR BIG MIKE will be an absentee from Heat 7 in the second round heats of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park this evening.

The Williamhill.com English Derby will reach the semi-final stage next Saturday when the third round is run at Wimbledon and hopes of an Irish victory in the classic are sky high following another very successful weekend for the raiding party.

NEWS from across the water yesterday is that one of the biggest entries for many years will go into the draw on Sunday for the first round of the Williamhill.com English Derby and among them there will be one of the biggest ever Irish raiding teams.

The College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup picture changed drastically yesterday when two high-profile withdrawals from next Saturday’s second round resulted in Thurlesbeg Joker becoming a very hot favourite to land the prestigious Shelbourne Park feature.