FEARS that the current economic problems would decimate the sponsorship scene have proved unfounded and there was double good news this week with confirmation that existing sponsorship of the Easter Cup at Shelbourne and the Produce Stakes at Clonmel is to continue this year.

IT hardly seems like 363 days since that amazing night when College Causeway produced one of the greatest performances ever seen on a greyhound track, but here we are within two days of the 2010 Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby final and anticipation levels are extremely high.

LEADING owner P.J. Fahy suffered a double blow this week as two of his outstanding trackers have been struck by injury that will force them to miss major engagements.

The College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup picture changed drastically yesterday when two high-profile withdrawals from next Saturday’s second round resulted in Thurlesbeg Joker becoming a very hot favourite to land the prestigious Shelbourne Park feature.

The College Causeway team will be anxious in advance of tomorrow’s Paddypower.com Irish Derby semi-finals at Shelbourne. A year ago their star tracker was a very strong favourite in advance of the semis but trouble down the far side saw him bid farewell to his prospects.

THERE are four Kerry- owned speedsters involved in the quarter-finals of the Paddypower.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park tomorrow night and there will be plenty of support with the Kingdom’s fans in town for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Meath.

Limerick may not have enjoyed the best of luck at Croke Park last Sunday but greyhounds from the county are performing heroically in the Paddypower.com Irish Derby with both Shaneboy Lee and St Louis Spirit figuring among the top three favourites as we approach the third round of the classic at Shelbourne on Saturday night.

You just can’t keep College Causeway out of the headlines.

COLLEGE Causeway wrote a piece of history when setting an incredible new track record in the first round of the Paddypower.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne last night.

With still two days to go before the deadline, the entry list for the Paddypower.com Irish Derby had reached 100 and the signs are that the final number will be very close to the ideal number of 144.

PATSY Byrne’s Ballymac Ruso is the 2-1 favourite to win the Boylesports International at Dundalk on Sunday following College Causeway’s withdrawal shortly before the draw was made by Boylesports’ representative Leon Blanche at lunchtime yesterday.

The bitches may have dominated the scene last week but it will be the turn of the stayers tomorrow night when the final of the Accelerated Drain Cleaning Corn Cuchulainn will be the main event on a gala Harold’s Cross card that will be featured live in an hour long programme on Setanta Ireland.

IN what will be his first outing on Irish soil since November, College Causeway faces an extremely tough test at Shelbourne Park this evening in the opening round of the BCR Print Easter Cup.

Leading fancies Shelbourne Aston and College Causeway have been handed very difficult first round tasks in the BCR Print Easter Cup which gets under way at Shelbourne on Saturday night.