Tralee’s five-day festival got off to a belated start after a bomb scare caused the first race to be delayed by almost 45 minutes.

Tralee Festival has been given a major boost after this afternoon’s meeting passed an early-morning inspection.

PRINCELY HERO is the nap choice in the five-runner Club Fabric Handicap, his first venture into such company, at the opening stage of the Tralee Festival this afternoon, assuming the meeting passes this morning’s inspection.

Waterlogging is threatening next week’s five-day Tralee festival with an inspection called for 4pm on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s opening card.

Liam Burke, better known for selling successful point-to-pointers, landed the feature event of the Galway Festival when Sir Frederick won the valuable William Hill-sponsored Plate.

ANNO JUBILO can get the weekend away to the perfect start by landing the Guinness Brewhouse Series Novice Chase at Listowel this afternoon.

TOM HOGAN'S Kalderon has promised to deliver a decent pot for a while and he did it at the conclusion of the Tralee Festival yesterday when putting up a game display in the Listed Ruby Stakes.

MRS GILLOW, who has been an excellent money-spinner for the Jim Bolger yard, landed the major feature of the Tralee Festival yesterday, the Guinness Gold Cup, in front of an attendance of 4,608.

AIDAN O’BRIEN’S Nell Gwyn, a poor fifth of seven behind Four Sins at the Curragh on her debut Curragh, but a full-sister to Rock Of Gibraltar, was all the rage for the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at the first stage of the Tralee Festival last evening and duly obliged.

REALLY looking forward to Dandy Man attempting to establish himself as the champion sprinter in this afternoon’s Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

DAVID WACHMAN’S horses are motoring well and his Shutruk-Nahhunte is napped to land the Tote Ireland 75th Anniversary Auction Race at Galway this afternoon.

THE first roses of summer have been spotted in Dublin but it won’t be long before they’re cultivated in front of a bigger audience in Tralee.

FAVOURITE backers knew their fate early at Roscommon last night when 13/8 shot Ballyhoctor refused to start in the Athleague Novice Hurdle.

FORMER champion jockey Johnny Murtagh was suspended for a total of 23 days at Leopardstown yesterday, most of the ban being imposed following an incident involving Pat Smullen.

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.

TESTING conditions and a very competitive looking programme make this afternoon’s second day at Listowel one which punters would do well to swerve as much as possible.

CRYSTAL VIEW, trained by Kevin Prendergast, came late and fast to beat Imperial Rose and Falstaff in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Premier Nursery at the final stage of the Tralee Festival yesterday.

DERMOT WELD, a man with a fine record at the track over many years, can set punters on their way by landing a double at the first stage of the Tralee Festival today.

A SNUBBED American committee is withdrawing its long-term support for the Jeanie Johnson famine ship project.

Alcapone earned a 33-1 quote from the Tote for the Queen Mother Champion Chase after bouncing back to form in the McCabe Properties Fortria Chase at Navan.