No one's slick as Gaston, no one's quick as Gaston...

From the toe-tapping tunes in Peter Pan to Boyzone’s Keith Duffy as the Baddie in in Jack and the Beanstalk, we pick the best of the festive fun with Colette Sheridan

Ger Hogan hit national headlines in February when, with the help of his horses, Freckles and Beauty, he rescued scores of residents trapped by floods in their homes in Limerick’s St Mary’s Park.

WHEN Cork City Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty opens at Cork Opera House on Thursday, it’s probably safe to say the majority of the audience will be women.

A TV actor who was extradited from Britain to appear before a special court sitting in Limerick has admitted robbing €5,200 from a shop.

A treatise on masculinity masquerading as a fairytale love story, The Lucky One (12A) stars Zac Efron as Logan, who finds a picture of a beautiful blonde woman while serving as a Marine in Iraq.

Such is the Disneyesque look and feel of the Swiss lakeside city of Lucerne that one almost expects to encounter Beauty and the Beast’s Belle sauntering through its medieval streets with her nose stuck in a book, studiously avoiding the overbearing advances of the otherwise curiously attractive Gaston.

IT’S that time of year, when Cork’s favourite pantomime dame, Jim Mulcahy, dons big hair, make-up and loud female costumes.

ISN’T IT amazing how the greyhound world has changed in a relatively short number of years?

DOLORES Ruth’s magnificent year continued at Shelbourne Park when she was presented with the Irish Greyhound Review Personality of the Year Award.

Champion Irish greyhound trainer Paul Hennessy will branch out tomorrow night when he saddles his first two runners at a horse race meeting.

Profound Beauty is not certain to run in the Melbourne Cup.

PROFOUND Beauty completed a hat-trick in the listed Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown last night, justifying 2/5 favouritism with the minimum of fuss.

PROFOUND BEAUTY can get back on the winning trail in the Listed Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown tonight.

FIRST BEAUTY has to be a reasonably confident choice to land the Oran Novice Hurdle at Roscommon tonight.

Profound Beauty took the first step to another possible crack at the Melbourne Cup when making a winning seasonal debut at Leopardstown.

Profound Beauty is to miss a second tilt at the Emirates Melbourne Cup in November.

Beauty O’Gwaun has had her final start for John Oxx after connections decided to send her across the Atlantic for a stud career.

PROFOUND Beauty could bid to forward her Melbourne Cup claims in Friday’s Ladbrokes Give Thanks Stakes at Cork on Friday.

DERMOT WELD and Pat Smullen, enjoying a real purple patch, are the combination to have on your side at Naas tonight.

SHE has been named Beauty, though this eagle is anything but. Part of Beauty’s beak was shot off several years ago, leaving her with a stump that is useless for hunting food.

YOU Beauty! Doctors believe this adorable pet dog used her nose to save her owner’s life after he fell into a life-threatening coma.

MILLABBEY COLT can underline his claims in the Golden Maverick A2 Stakes at Curraheen Park by taking the first of tonight’s semi-finals.

THE progressive Dark Prancer has to get the vote in the Beamish 575 final at Curraheen Park this evening.

BANGERS AGAIN can stake an early claim in the 2004 Knockeevan Star Southern Sprint at Youghal by taking heat two tonight.