The Laurels final went off well, with a performance befitting a champion, and now the Curraheen wagon rolls on to the Barry’s Tea, which starts in little more than a week. Entries for that stake close next Tuesday, May 19, with the heats four days later.

Stand by for some special action at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night where the second round heats of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup are expected to provide some red-hot racing.

This weekend must rank as just about the busiest of the year, with five major finals for decision and 21 Irish dogs in action in the Williamhill.com English Derby at Wimbledon.

There will be no exporting of greyhounds from Ireland to China, in the near future at least.

PJ FAHY’S plan to contest this year’s English Derby was scuppered even before it got underway yesterday. Fahy and his trainer-son Conor brought five intended challengers over for trials in advance of the Derby but an altercation with Wimbledon official Gary Matthews resulted in the Galway team leaving for home without trialling their dogs and having rescinded their earlier plans.