Even Dermot Weld, at least privately, must have found it highly amusing.

Curragh trainer Darren Bunyan is enjoying a fine strike-rate with his small string and introduced a promising filly — Enchanteresse — to land a significant gamble in the median auction maiden in Fairyhouse last night.

Seven-times champion Pat Smullen celebrated his 38th birthday with a first and last race double in Cork last night, highlighted by the impressive victory of Variable in the concluding fillies maiden.

Mouse Morris’ Allied Victory made a spectacular start over fences when landing the www.thurlesraces.ie Beginners Chase at Thurles yesterday.

The marketing people aren’t half out in force attempting to whip up support for the Champions’ Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh next month.

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen shared a treble in rain-sodden Leopardstown as Tarafiyla, Hellenistic and Starlet recorded emphatic victories on a night when Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning doubled-up with News At Six and Teocht.

Streetcar To Stars, a son of the great Sea The Stars, can land the Hanlon Concrete EBF Maiden at the Curragh tonight.

Australia has been given a rating of 123 by the British Horseracing Authority following his victory in the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday.

Paul Hanagan received rich praise from those associated with Taghrooda as he showed the assurance to match the athleticism of the filly beneath him to secure a first Classic winner in the Investec Oaks at Epsom yesterday.

John Oxx accepts Investec Derby favourite Australia is “tailor-made” to handle the demands of Epsom on June 7.

Dermot Weld will run only one of his two remaining entries in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday, with Mustajeeb more likely than Alkasser at this stage.

Geoffrey Chaucer provided Aidan O’Brien with his thirteenth victory in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes when getting the better of stable-companion Oklahoma City in yesterday’s feature at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien has supplemented Tapestry for the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Frankel was finally granted the ultimate position in the recent history of Flat racing as the World Thoroughbred Rankings announced him as the highest-rated horse since their system began in 1977 with a mark of 140.

Auction records have helped push like-for-like sales at bloodstock sales group Goffs up by €108,000.

Doncaster’s third running of the Clipper Logistics Leger Legends Classified Stakes was again won by a jockey worthy of the title as Mick Kinane and Patriotic held on in a tight finish yesterday.

Lady Rothschild will let John Gosden decide whether her star colt Nathaniel will lock horns with Frankel in the Juddmonte International at York.

Dibayani confirmed the favourable impression he had made on his debut when winning the Darley EBF Maiden at the Curragh.

He may be attempting to burst the balloon in Saturday night’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, but John Oxx can empathise with the pressure Camelot’s connections are under ahead of the Classic.

Parish Hall attempts the first leg of a remarkable Classic double in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Derby and Oaks Trials at Lingfield this afternoon will be run on the all weather track and that appears to have been quite well received.

Mick Kinane will be roaring on Born To Sea as he bids to emulate half-brother Sea The Stars by winning the the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket tomorrow.

Ground conditions at Newmarket could be a question mark for the hugely talented Camelot in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket tomorrow .

GODOLPHIN have warned that Delegator, the ante-post favourite for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow, will only run if the ground is suitable.

Superstars abound at Royal Ascot tomorrow, but all eyes will be on Frankel when Henry Cecil’s superstar defends his unbeaten record in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

DELEGATOR will run over six furlongs or the first time in tomorrow’s Duke of York Blue Square Stakes and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is confident he will be able to handle the drop in trip.

HARBINGER’S performance in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes earned him a rating of 135 as he was announced the clear leader in the 2010 World Thoroughbred Rankings, unveiled yesterday.

Harbinger has been crowned as the top performer of 2010 after the World Thoroughbred Rankings were released.

Delegator will face 14 rivals as he makes his eagerly-anticipated return to action in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury on Friday.

ED McMahon is targeting some of the big sprint prizes with Astrophysical Jet next season after her triumph in the Goffs Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

As a horse regularly placed at the very top level, Spanish Moon is a most worthy favourite for this afternoon’s Group 2 Princess Of Wales’ Stakes at Newmarket.

Twice Over bridged a 32-year gap for 10-times champion trainer Henry Cecil as he provided the legend of the Turf with a fourth Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

John Gosden expects tomorrow’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown to bring Dar Re Mi to her peak.

THE Irish National Stud (INS) has conceded it must tighten up rules on the conduct of its key personnel in inside deals involving its stallions.

FAME AND GLORY and Sariska represent last year’s Classic form in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom tomorrow.

THE Irish National Stud has defended the expenses bills for its seven-member board of directors which totalled €85,397 between 2001 and 2009.

JUST a few months after masterminding the career of the exceptional Sea The Stars, things have so far this campaign been fairly quiet for John Oxx.

Just a few months after masterminding the career of the exceptional Sea The Stars, things have so far this campaign been fairly quiet for John Oxx.

Mick Kinane is hoping he can help drum up further interest in the Irish Flat scene after being named Horse Racing Ireland’s Flat Ambassador for 2010.

St Nicholas Abbey and Rip Van Winkle are among a 17-strong entry from Aidan O'Brien in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on July 3.

A WAR of words broke out in Leinster House yesterday when leading horse trainer, John Oxx, accused the chief executive of bookmaking firm Paddy Power plc, Patrick Kennedy, of ‘disdain’ towards the Irish racing industry.

WILLIE MULLINS has finally given up the fight to get the brilliant Mikael D’Haguenet to Cheltenham.

Xtension, one of 91 entries revealed for the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas, may be sent for the first Classic of the Flat season on May 1 without a prep-run by trainer Clive Cox.

DECLAN KIDNEY was yesterday rewarded for his achievements in 2009 by being named as the Philips Sports Manager of the Year for the third time in four years.