Waterford veteran Tony Browne is hopeful of playing his first county hurling of the year in Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier clash with Westmeath in Cusack Park (5pm).

Darren O’Malley and Conor Daly are the two Roscommon debutants for Sunday’s Connacht SFC semi-final clash with Mayo at MacHale Park in Castlebar (4pm).

HISTORY repeated itself at the opening stage of the Clonmel Festival yesterday to provide one of the three big surprises in the first round of the Boylesports Derby.

KARAKATTA HILL won the Premier Cup at Templetuohy yesterday, flooring by two lengths the odds laid on the Kevin Barry trained Musical Hill.