Despite weeks of dominance, the Irish will have only one representative in the williamhill.com English Derby decider at Wimbledon this evening following last weekend’s semi-final carnage.

The week started on a very encouraging note with news of Red Mills’ sponsorship of the Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park for a three year period. It is a great boost for the sport in the south and will allow all involved to plan well into the future.

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.

Punters didn’t have things easy in the opening round of the College Causeway/ Killahan Phanter Easter Cup and they can expect more of the same at Shelbourne Park this evening.

Derby champion Razldazl George will make his seasonal bow this evening when he lines out in the opening round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park.

Unbeaten superstar Milldean Panther tops the entries for the valuable SIS Live Tote Gold Cup which kicks off at Shelbourne on Saturday night.

LEADING greyhound trainer Pat Gordon has decided to emigrate to Australia with his family and expects to depart in the new two months.

LARRY Dunne’s Slippery Bob turned the opening heat of the Billy Mulvaney Snr and Jnr Memorial Open 600 at Shelbourne on Saturday into a procession with an impressive display of front running.

SHELBOURNE Park is often a quiet place in the closing weeks of September as punters suffer from what is commonly referred to as the “Derby hangover”.

WELL, here are virtually on the eve of the biggest day of the year in greyhound sport - the final of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park and all is in readiness for what promises to be the night of all nights.

TONIGHT is the first time this year that all the heats of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Greyhound Derby will be run on the same night and it provides a feast of betting opportunities for punters.

Rescue teams were today searching for 27 crewmen missing from the Alexandros T, a bulk carrier that sank last night in the Indian Ocean off South Africa’s southern coast.