David Pipe is targeting the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup with Ballynagour following his tremendous effort in defeat at Aintree last week.

The Irish division of one of the world’s largest funders of small business — Bibby Financial Services — has announced details of €70m in working capital facilities available for SMEs through invoice finance.

A substantial proportion of the €500m being made available by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland — the State’s new ‘SME Bank’ — needs to be put into the hands of alternative funding providers, rather than the domestic pillar banks for the project to work, it has been claimed.

More consolidation and the establishment of sector-specific cluster groups are needed in order to strengthen Ireland’s SME industries, according to a new report.

Ruby Walsh’s grim determination to get back from injury to ride at the Punchestown festival reaped a massive dividend when he drove Boston Bob to win the biggest prize of the week, the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Gold Cup yesterday.

Hurricane Fly is on target to try for a sixth successive win at the Punchestown Festival and could face stablemate Un De Sceaux in the Racing Post Champion Hurdle, which he has won for the last four seasons, on May 2.

Shark Hanlon is keeping his fingers crossed there is some ease in the ground at the Punchestown Festival later this month ahead of Hidden Cyclone’s intended appearance in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase.

Punchestown Racecourse announced yesterday that Bibby Financial Services Ireland (BFSI) are the new sponsors of the Punchestown Gold Cup, in a deal that will see the prize fund increasing by €50,000 to a total value of €200,000.

One of the world’s largest funders of small business has pledged €60m to develop Ireland’s SME sector.

There was roughly €500m available in invoice finance to SMEs that went unused over the second quarter of the year, according to the trade body the Asset Based Finance Association.

ISME has called for an immediate benchmarking of costs for SMEs, saying that the National Competitiveness Council needs to investigate the matter.

IRISH exporting firms are having to resort to using their credit cards, bank overdrafts and — in some cases — owners’ personal savings to fund the movement of their goods abroad, according to a new report.

Computer workers, finance experts and lawyers are the worst for using “annoying” jargon, often putting off bosses from using their services, according to a new report today.