Paco Boy is said to be “flying” in his preparation for the nine-furlong Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba on March 28.

KAUTO Star ensured punters came out on top on the final day of a bruising battle with the bookmakers at the Cheltenham Festival.

BOOKMAKERS reported mixed fortunes after a closely-matched first-day jousting between the layers and punters.

Recent Haydock winner Coe could return to the Merseyside track for the Blue Square Gold Cup on February 14.

Ayr’s gamble of staging an extra jumps meeting on Saturday looks like paying off as the course is now raceable.

Roy Keane's Sunderland have been drawn to play Bolton at home in the third round of the FA Cup today.

Hurricane Fly justified the 2-1 favouritism by winning the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, but he was made to fight all the way by Donnas Palm.

War Of Attrition made it two from two since returning from injury with an authoritative display in the Thurles Chase under Davy Russell.

Jim Bolger has yet to make a decision on the participation of New Approach in Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Ger Lyons has been quick to snap up the services of Ryan Moore for Little White Lie in Saturday’s William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster.

Ashkazar will net a £75,000 bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival after plundering the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown.

Daryl Jacob believes the distance of the Ryanair Chase will suit The Listener down to the ground.

PAT HUGHES is hoping Point Barrow can boost his claims for the John Smith’s Grand National with a good performance in Saturday’s Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock.

DESSIE Hughes is in no hurry to decide whether Hardy Eustace will bid for a third Champion Hurdle triumph or take the longer option in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE will fly the non-league flag in today’s FA Cup fourth round draw after Rocky Baptiste earned the Blue Square southern side a replay against Swansea.

New Approach duly emulated his former stable companion Teofilo as European champion two-year-old with victory in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

Leg Spinner was given a quote of just 33-1 for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after storming to victory on the Flat in the £2.5m totescoop6 Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Chinese White went in many notebooks at Leopardstown with an effortless all-the-way triumph in the Cara Hotels Group EBF Fillies Maiden.

Phil Taylor made it a hat-trick of Blue Square UK Open televised nine-dart finishes as he set up a quarter-final re-match with arch rival Raymond van Barneveld at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton.

Aidan O’Brien sent out another possible Vodafone Derby candidate as Admiralofthefleet put up an impressive display in the Group Three Aktiv Kapital UK Ltd Dee Stakes at Chester.

Solider Of Fortune laid bare his Vodafone Derby claims with a gritty success in the MBNA Chester Vase on the Roodee.

Mick Easterby made a victorious first visit to Lingfield as Gentleman’s Deal maintained his unbeaten run on the all-weather in the Betdirect Winter Derby.

Kauto Star silenced his critics in scintillating fashion and propelled himself into the upper echelons of racing history when careering away with the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Ferdy Murphy is hoping Joes Edge makes the cut in the John Smith’s Grand National after getting up in the shadow of the post to win the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Bookmakers were purring following day one of the Cheltenham Festival after several well-backed favourites were turned over.

The possibility of soft ground at the Cheltenham Festival is still on the agenda as more rain hit Gloucestershire overnight.

Monet's Garden exorcised the demons that haunted him at Kempton over Christmas as he landed his first Grade One success in the Commercial First Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track.

Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Kauto Star was made to pull out all the stops as L’Ami pushed him right to the line in a dramatic Aon Chase at Newbury.

MY WAY DE SOLZEN has the Ryanair Chase or the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy Chase as his Cheltenham Festival target after treating the New Year’s Day crowd at Prestbury Park to an exhibition round of jumping yesterday.

UK leisure group Rank today offered further evidence that its Mecca bingo clubs in Scotland were being affected by the smoking ban north of the border.

STAR De Mohasion brightened up a gloomy afternoon at Sandown for champion trainer Paul Nicholls when landing the John Smith’s Future Stars Chase.

TARANIS is holding on to his position as favourite for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham even though the gamble on Vodka Bleu shows no signs of waning.

MONET’S GARDEN made a flawless start to his second season over fences when inflicting defeat on prolific French raider Mid Dancer in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle yesterday.

Paul Nicholls unleashed two of his big guns at Aintree today and Turko and Kauto Star, both partnered by Ruby Walsh, duly hit the target in commanding fashion.

Rail Link was a shock winner of a star-studded Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Peter Chapple-Hyam enjoyed his first domestic Group One victory since returning from Hong Kong in the spring of 2004 when Dutch Art powered to success in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Bingo and casino owner Rank today said it could sell its Hard Rock Café business and focus on the expanding UK gaming industry.

Leading British-based online bookmaker Blue Square today took the initiative and announced they are to offer their own show prices in the final minutes before each race takes place.

Voy Por Ustedes impressed the majority of the layers as he extended his winning sequence over fences to four with a slick display of jumping in the Blue Square Casino Novices’ Chase at Wincanton.

The owner of cosmetics giant Revlon was today linked to a possible bid for the Deluxe film services business being sold by UK group Rank for an estimated €677m.

IRISH telecommunications company Smart Telecom is to sponsor the North Yorkshire stable of Ferdy Murphy.

Blue Square have been unveiled as the new title sponsors for the opening day of the Budweiser Irish Derby Festival at the Curragh on Friday June 24.

A €50,000 bonus will be up for grabs if any horse can win both the Sporting Index Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and the La Touche Cup at Punchestown the following month.

NEWLY-crowned champion jockey Frankie Dettori won the Flat jockey of the year award at the 38th annual Horserace Writers & Photographers Association awards in London yesterday while the training equivalent went to Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Suroor.