David Bridgwater was in the news for the right reasons at Plumpton yesterday when Bravo Riquet followed up a recent victory at the course in the TV Focus At timeform.com Handicap Chase.

Fortune favoured Galway Jack as he made virtually all the running to take the feature totepool.com Best Odds On Irish Lotto Handicap Chase at Southwell.

Beautiful weather and an all-flat card was the menu at Tipperary yesterday, but punters were thin on the ground and only ten bookmakers were on site.

Colin Keane, arguably the most talented young rider in the country, enjoyed the biggest success of his fledgling career when guiding Brendan Bracken to victory in the Topaz Mile Handicap at Galway last night.

Tomorrow's meeting at Lingfield goes ahead after the track passed an 8am inspection.

Andrew Thornton has hailed the ingenuity of officials at Chester after the track confirmed a trial into the possibility of staging summer jumps racing.

Aidan O’Brien introduced a potentially smart recruit in Sir Walter Scott to land the www.sesif.org 2-Y-0 Race in Dundalk yesterday, the Galileo colt getting the better of the Ger Lyons-trained previous winners Seeking Luck and Washboard Sam after a protracted three-way battle.

Willie Mullins took his score for the truncated Tramore festival to six when Sweet My Lord made an excellent start over fences in the Beginners Chase yesterday.

On a night when apprentice Conor Hoban took the riding honours with a double, the Jim Bolger-trained three-year-old Livia Galilei landed the Connacht Oaks in Sligo last night.

Jockey Andrew Thornton is waiting to find out the extent of the knee injury he sustained at Southwell on Sunday.

A shortlist of 10 riders and 11 horses has been put together for Olympic consideration by Team Ireland Equestrian’s eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot.

Most punters wanted to be with Tommy Stack’s Queens Visit in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at Clonmel last night and were proved right.

Jockey Andrew Thornton is expected to be back in action later this week after escaping with just soft tissue damage when riding Donatis Comet at the Curragh on Monday.

Ballydoyle debutant Ernest Hemingway proved the undoubted star of last night’s action in Dundalk, romping to an impressive ten lengths win in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden to spark a double for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien.

It was sore heads all round in the small village of Kilskyre, Co Meath, as the place celebrated its unlikely Irish Grand National triumph.

Tom Gibney, who trains relatively locally at Kells in Co Meath, enjoyed his greatest success when Lion Na Bearnai sprang a 33-1 shock in the Ladbrokes’ Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse yesterday.

The Ladbrokes Irish Grand National is one of the most precious jewels in Ireland’s racing crown, and it was Lion Na Bearnai who came up trumps, returning at odds of 33/1, with the crowds happy to cheer him into the winners’ enclosure with his popular local trainer Tom Gibney.

There was a fairytale 33-1 success for the connections of Lion Na Bearnai in the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

Lion Na Bearnai provided trainer Tom Gibney and jockey Andrew Thornton with the biggest success of their careers in the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

IT was one of those heart-stopping sporting moments.

Willie Mullins saddled a one-two in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle at Navan yesterday as Mourad, ridden by Paul Townend, turned over the Ruby Walsh-ridden 4/11 favourite Mikael D’Haguenet.

Shane Foley celebrated his return from Dubai by recording a double, on If Per Chance and Johnnys Legacy, at Dundalk last night.

WITH stable-jockey Kevin Manning on duty in Dubai (he rode Hurricane Havoc to finish fourth in the Group 2 Cape Verdi yesterday), Rory Cleary proved an able deputy when providing Jim Bolger with a double, on Heir To The Mint and General Bunching at Dundalk last night.

SUCCESSFUL with His Excellency in the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown, trainer Gordon Elliott was on duty at Down Royal where he registered a double with Lord Redsgirth and Rocky Wednesday.

THE Willie Mullins-trained newcomer The Paparrazi Kid proved the only one of four odds-on favourites to triumph in Navan yesterday, the Milan gelding justifying odds of 30/100 in the bumper.

The Professional Jockeys Association tonight issued a statement calling on riders not to take strike action as the row over new whip rules introduced by the British Horseracing Authority continues.

A decision on any adjustments to the British Horseracing Authority’s controversial new whip rules is expected by the end of this week.

LOCAL trainers John McConnell and Ger Lyons stole the show with doubles on the opening day of the Bellewstown July meeting last night.

Nicky Henderson's Quantitativeeasing got his career back on track with a ready success in the Hardings Catering Novices' Chase at Fontwell today.

Fontwell will stage their full seven-race card this afternoon after the chase track passed an 11am inspection.

Andrew Thornton is looking forward to getting back in the saddle at Towcester on Wednesday after a couple of months on the sidelines with injury.

RAJIK completed a hat-trick when producing a gutsy performance in the listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes at Galway yesterday, getting up close home to foil fellow joint-favourite Address Unknown by a head.

The Charles Byrnes trained Alfa Beat earned a crack at next month’s Guinness Kerry National in Listowel when completing a fabulous four-timer in the Guinness Handicap Chase in Galway yesterday.

CARRYING the colours of Mrs Anne Coughlan, best known for the exploits of champion filly Ridgewood Pearl back in 1995, the Dermot Weld trained Treasure The Cross made all to land the opening Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Maiden at Wexford last night.

GOLDEN Kite landed the €50,000 Gigginstown House Midland National at Kilbeggan last night, getting the better of Decoy Daddy on the run-in after the last fence fall of narrow leader Classic Frontier and then surviving a Stewards Enquiry.

THE Town And District Chase at Tipperary last night was robbed of much of its interest due to the defection of Cuan Na Grai with a stone bruise.

Andrew Thornton was quick to pay tribute to Robert and Sally Alner after news of their retirement from the training ranks emerged.

Blazing Bailey may have earned himself a shot at the Coral Scottish Grand National after a belated maiden victory over fences at Leicester.

THE famous Beef Or Salmon colours of Joe Craig were carried to victory by the well-backed Awkward Moment in the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick yesterday.

WHAT a job Willie Mullins has done with Our Monty.

TAWAAGG proved the star of yesterday’s action at Tramore yesterday, justifying favouritism for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the Guillamene Maiden.

Drunken Sailor sank the opposition to be crowned king of the Arthur’s Day Handicap at Galway.

Davy Condon remains in Tullamore Hospital after suffering a broken ankle at Kilbeggan on Friday night.

DAVY Russell excelled on the Paul Nolan-trained favourite Moskova as she completed a hat-trick over fences in the Ashbourne Mares Chase at Fairyhouse yesterday.