Micheal O Muircheartaigh obviously has high hopes for his new four-legged friend. Upon retiring from his GAA commentary role last September, the Irish Greyhound Board announced that they would present him with a greyhound and the dog was handed over at a function in Shelbourne Park yesterday afternoon.

FEW trainers clock up the mileage like Ballymacelligott’s Liam Dowling and his industrious approach paid dividends on Saturday when he supplied two of the three heat winners in the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne Park.

HOPEFULLY we can cease writing about the weather and concentrate on the racing side of things and this week sees the commencement of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne and the Vetsearch Kennedy Cup at Limerick.

LEADING owner P.J. Fahy suffered a double blow this week as two of his outstanding trackers have been struck by injury that will force them to miss major engagements.

CLONMEL manager Eddie Anderson was a very pleased man yesterday when he reported that the Red Mills Produce Stakes had filled with 96 entries and all is now in readiness for the great feature which is the highlight of the racing year at the South Tipperary venue.