Limerick Circuit Court ordered the forfeiture of €36,000 from a professional poker player who claimed it was part of a big win in a poker classic.

Paddy Power boosted half-year profits by 12% today as a surge in online bets helped it overcome a dismal Cheltenham festival for bookmakers.

Former British champion Ryan Moore’s trip to the Curragh proved worthwhile yesterday when Dank, trained by Michael Stoute, proved an emphatic winner of the Group 2 Kilboy Estates Stakes.

Danny Mullins has expressed his delight after being named retained jockey for emerging owner Barry Connell.

Trainer Colm Murphy will resist the urge to throw Big Zeb back into battle at the Cheltenham Festival.

An advance team of US Secret Service agents are due in Limerick today to sweep the area ahead of Saturday’s visit of former US president Bill Clinton.

Trainer Brian Hamilton has confirmed amateur rider Declan Lavery will maintain his partnership with Weatherbys Champion Bumper favourite Moscow Mannon.

Alan King’s Grade One-winning chaser Medermit could make his seasonal reappearance in the Betfred Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on November 1.

MICHAEL Stoute’s Carlton House is an intended runner in Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Top-class fillies Midday and Snow Fairy feature among a field of eight declared for the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Midday is one of 14 possible runners for the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

THERE’S nothing like a bit of excitement before Cheltenham and I certainly had my share with that crashing tumble aboard King Of The Refs at Naas on Wednesday.

Enda Bolger’s two cross-country stars Garde Champetre and L’Ami are to make a belated return to the track over hurdles at Naas this Saturday.

MICHAEL Hourigan is not afraid of taking on Little Josh again in the December Gold Cup with Dancing Tornado.

SOME of the top National Hunt stars in Ireland and Britain will be coming to Leopardstown next month for the 2010 renewal of the course’s Christmas Festival.

Time For Rupert, last season’s World Hurdle runner-up, will make his debut over fences at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power meeting.

Qaspal ended Philip Hobbs' Paddy Power Imperial Cup drought today and put himself in the reckoning for a £75,000 (€82,829) bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival when leading home a stable one-two at Sandown.

Enda Bolger and owner JP McManus must never have thought they would find a horse to replace Spot Thedifference but Garde Champetre edged closer to surpassing his achievements at Cheltenham today.

Poquelin heads a five-strong entry from the Paul Nicholls stable in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 14.

SHINROCK Paddy should make a successful hurdling debut in the Punchestown Event Centre Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown today.

Paul Nicholls unleashed another of his powerful squad as Cheltenham candidate Pride of Dulcote put in an exhibition round in the Fred Rimell Memorial Novices' Chase at Worcester.

War Of The World will try to maintain his upward curve as he turns out in Saturday’s zeturf.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

PAUL NICHOLLS has not ruled out bidding for a second Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup with Denman.

It’s another massive weekend to savour with the highlight being the final of an absorbing looking Sporting Press Irish Oaks at Shelbourne Park on Saturday.

Nigel Twiston-Davies expects punters to see the “real” Imperial Commander when he lines up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

SIEGEMASTER stamped himself an exciting chasing prospect when coasting to a bloodless victory in the Horse & Jockey Beginners Chase at Thurles yesterday.

It was business as usual for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh as Cheltenham opened its doors for the winter with the dominant trainer and jockey combining for yet another big-race success.

Racing Demon remains on schedule to improve Henrietta Knight’s formidable record in the totesport.com Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Saturday.

Ruby Walsh is confident he can waste down to close to the minimum weight in order to give Granit Jack his optimum chance in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Nicky Henderson’s admirable chaser Fondmort is still fighting for his life after fracturing his pelvis in a routine gallop this morning.

Idle Talk is “unlikely” to return to action in either the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase or the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase this weekend.

Rathgar Beau has been retired after suffering a recurrence of an old leg problem in the National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran.

Philip Hobbs is hoping either Monkerhostin or Lacdoudal can spoil the Paddy Power Gold Cup party for Martin Pipe tomorrow.

French Accordion looks set to bypass a crack at the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in favour of an alternative engagement at the Paddy Power meeting.

Exciting novice chaser Celtic Son is on course to reappear in one of two engagements at the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham.

NOEL MEADE'S Ballyagran, despite some indifferent jumping, made a fine debut over flights when taking the INH Stallion Owners' EBF Novice Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

GAA chiefs have warned they will not delay investigations into the controversial deal which saw Cork hurlers Kieran Murphy and Niall McCarthy wearing boots with the Corona beer logo in Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final.

Rooster Booster will not take his place in Saturday’s RHT 40th Anniversary Hurdle at Kempton.

The most valuable event of the Punchestown Festival, the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup, takes place today.

Former world champion Phil Taylor has warned his rivals to write him off at their peril.

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.