DRAG artist Panti Bliss’s speech on homophobia, in the Abbey Theatre on February 2, is one of the greats of Irish politics, up there with Robert Emmet’s parting words. For anyone who has followed Bliss’s (real name Rory O’Neill) career, this is not surprising.

Without a win over hurdles since his maiden success at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting in 2009, Prince Of Fire proved am emphatic winner of the Tayto Group Hurdle at Down Royal last night.

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.

Camilla Speirs holds second place after dressage in the CIC short-format three-star at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials in Co Meath.

Michael Ryan was his usual assured self yesterday after riding Dromgurrihy Blue to equal 10th in the dressage phase of the Irish Field CCI three-star class at Tattersalls International Horse Trials.

SHOW jumper Denis Lynch has risen to second in the Rolex World Cup league table following his fifth place with Abbervail van het Dingeshof in Mechelen, Belgium, yesterday.

JACKSONSLADY, trained and partly-owned by Philip Dempsey, proved best in the listed Grabel Mares Hurdle on the opening day of Punchestown’s winter season.

YESTERDAY'S Nunthorpe success for Margot Did was a clear indicator that the rain had got into the ground at York and that makes the early moves for this afternoon's Betfred Ebor all the more puzzling.

'Whip It'

Kasbah Bliss is resting up for a late-season campaign following his disappointing run at Royal Ascot.

Drew Barrymore hits all the marks in her first move behind a camera with a film built upon the most simple of stories yet delivered by a largely female cast as a gem of a romance, coming-of-age, action and funny film.

DERVAL O’ROURKE has withdrawn from Saturday’s Cork City Sports because of a groin injury picked up at the European Team Championships in Slovakia two weeks ago.

FRANCOIS Doumen admits he would not swap Kasbah Bliss for any other horse as the French handler goes in search of his third success in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

Barry Geraghty admits Kasbah Bliss will be hard to beat in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle but is keen to have a crack at him with Punchestowns.

Seventh heaven how are ye!

POWERSTOWN Park punters, already reeling from a host of shock results in the classics, will this morning be greeted with the disappointing news that favourite Coolcastle Point (Trajectory-Wake Up Time), is a shock withdrawal from the Derby.

SHE may still have to thrill the fans with a win at The Mardyke, but at least they could marvel at the way Derval O’Rourke finished the 100m hurdles at Cork City Sports on Saturday.

Kasbah Bliss staked a claim on the Ladbrokes World Hurdle as Barry Keniry guided the French raider to a silky-smooth triumph in the RealHolidayReports.com Rendlesham Hurdle.

WOMEN of Ireland don’t for a minute believe that bleaching makes your moustache invisible: Get it waxed.

British dance act Faithless have parted ways with their record company in a bid to regain artistic control of their music.

COLM Murphy has confirmed Ruby Walsh will take the reins on Brave Inca when he attempts to defend his crown in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle next Tuesday.

Celestial Wave will not travel across the Irish Sea to tackle the Ladbrokes World Hurdle after suffering a late setback.

BLACK Jack Ketchum’s trainer Jonjo O’Neill would have no qualms about pulling his budding superstar out of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle if the ground remains as it is at Cheltenham.

DEFENDING champion Tiger Woods will not be the only focus of attention when the Masters golf tournament gets underway on Thursday.

The mother of a nine-year-old girl who died during a school boating trip says she was sent a bill for badges and photographs weeks after her daughter's death.