Two Afghan government sources have said former President Burhanuddin Rabbani has been killed in the capital Kabul.

Last year’s winner Don’t Push It heads a maximum field of 40 runners in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

TONY MARTIN expects decent spring ground at Aintree to bring out the best in Northern Alliance when he lines up in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday week.

Tony Martin expects decent spring ground at Aintree to bring out the best in Northern Alliance when he lines up in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday week.

Dessie Hughes’ In Compliance will continue his Grand National preparations in the Kilcash Chase at Clonmel on Thursday.

LAST year’s winner Poquelin heads 18 five-day entries for the Vote AP Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

I’VE won four of the last six runnings of the Kerry National, but am no more than hopeful off adding another aboard Deutschland today.

Charles Byrnes is concerned about the prospect of testing conditions for Alfa Beat as he bids to continue his fantastic run of form in Wednesday’s Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.

President Hamid Karzai has taken key steps to reform Afghanistan's electoral system, naming a respected former judge to head an organising body and ending his bid to exclude international representatives from a fraud-monitoring group.

TRAINERS Tony Martin and Edward O’Grady carry the hopes of Ireland as they bid to end a 29-year-old drought in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham today.

Poquelin heads a five-strong entry from the Paul Nicholls stable in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 14.

CRYSTAL Gal should prove tough to beat in the listed Lanwades & Staffordstown Studs Stakes at the Curragh tomorrow.

Eric McNamara is to consider Ponmeoath for the Hennessy Gold Cup after the nine-year-old’s brave effort in the Kerry National.

Michael Hourigan received bountiful compensation for Church Island’s Kerry National reverse when Turf War won the Guinness Handicap Hurdle at Listowel.

RUBY WALSH, one of the greatest big-race jockeys of all time, did it again at Listowel yesterday when driving Tony Martin’s Northern Alliance to victory in the Guinness Kerry National.

Northern Alliance has won the feature race of the Listowel festival today.

THE million dollar question at Listowel today is can I win my fourth Kerry National?

NORTHERN ALLIANCE is fancied to give Tony Martin a first ever success in the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel this afternoon.

THE first Guantánamo Bay detainee to be convicted under the US military commission system has married in a Christian wedding in Sydney.

Bahrain Storm has won the Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap at the Galwat Races today.

BOOKMAKERS are predicting Willie Mullins’ Deutschland could go off a warm order in today’s Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ Deutschland, ante-post favourite for tomorrow’s Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle, scraped into the 20-runner field by one runner.

A LITTLE each-way on Knock On The Head might reap a dividend in the William Hill Galway Plate today.

PAUL Nicholls is keeping his fingers crossed conditions do not become too testing as he bids for back-to-back successes in the William Hill Galway Plate with Roby De Cimbre today.

THOSE of you with long memories may remember here a year ago just how confident I was of winning the Galway Plate aboard Oslot.

Paul Nicholls is keeping his fingers crossed conditions do not become too testing as he bids for back-to-back successes in the William Hill Galway Plate with Roby De Cimbre tomorrow.

Trainer John ’Shark’ Hanlon is targeting a Galway Festival double with Truckers Delight next week.

Monday’s Killarney winner Royal County Star will be part of Tony Martin plans to win the Galway Plate for the first time.

ISN’T That Lucky qualified for an outing at Cheltenham with success at Stratford on Monday and trainer Jonjo O’Neill believes Ritchie McGrath’s mount could run a “blinder” in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase.

An Australian former Guantanamo Bay inmate today became a free man for the first time in seven years when the final restrictions stemming from terrorism allegations ended.

THOMAS Cooper is happy with the condition of Forpadydeplasterer ahead of the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Thomas Cooper is happy with the condition of Forpadydeplasterer ahead of the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Tony Martin’s Northern Alliance ran out a ready winner of the Ladbrokes.com Better Prices Bigger Wins Novice Chase at Punchestown – but it could have all been so different.

WAR OF ATTRITION can continue his comeback by strolling to victory in the Thurles Chase at Thurles this afternoon.

KNIGHT LEGEND is a hopeful nap choice to land the Grade 2 Champion Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon, on what looks another desperately difficult programme to solve.

THERE are many occasions when you travel to the races full of hope, obviously based on having some decent rides. Today, at Gowran Park, is certainly not one of them.

Keys Pride benefited from a great Davy Russell ride which enabled her to walk away with the Dawn Milk Handicap Chase at Listowel.

CONDITIONS are sure to be particularly testing for the opening stage of the very last Tralee Festival this afternoon, for which there is a 7.30am inspection.

A future star of the National Hunt game was born at Ballybrit yesterday when 17-year-old Paul Townend guided Indian Pace to a thrilling victory in the Guinness Galway Hurdle.

GENERAL ante-post favourite King Rama is a doubt for next week’s Guinness Galway Hurdle after sustaining a muscle injury at Leopardstown on Thursday night.

DUAL 2000 Guineas hero Henrythenavigator could clash with his older rivals for the first time in Tuesday’s BGC Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

EOIN GRIFFIN’S horses are beginning to show some form, following a very lean period, and he could team up with Barry Geraghty to land a double at Punchestown this evening.