There was drama in the second round of the Easter Cup on Saturday night at Shelbourne Park, as Derby champ Laughil Blake exited the competition after finding trouble at the first turn in a red-hot third heat.

Lochbo Benny collected his second Cup of the season at the Cork meeting at Blarney yesterday with an impressive eight lengths success over Camarillo Blonde, who was having her first outing of the year.

Boylesports Hero, trained by Brendan Matthews for John Boyle, of Boylesports, ran out a most deserving winner of the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial on Saturday night at Limerick, justifying favouritism in some style.

Boylesports Hero will be the favourite to land next weekend’s final of the €80,000-to-the-winner Con and Annie Kirby Memorial at Limerick following a scintillating display of raw pace in Saturday night’s semi-final.

There are two withdrawals from the third round of the Ladbrokes Irish Derby but it remains highly competitive.

Bexhill Eoin (Multibet- Eoin Og), one of the greatest stud dogs of all time, has died.

The early-morning grey mist over Powerstown Racecourse didn’t in any way dampen the spirits yesterday morning, opening day in Clonmel of the 87th annual National Coursing Meeting.

BARRACK BIMBO (Bexhill Eoin-Barrack Court), owned in Tournafulla, Co Limerick by young Shane Curtin, served notice to all opponents in the Greyhound and Pet World Oaks next month she is ready, willing and well able to challengeall-comers.

THERE were a few surprises in the finals at the Regional meeting yesterday, with the long odds favourite in the featured James Curran Memorial Cup - Breska Rovers - having to give best to Windfarm Eiscir ( 5-1 yesterday morning) and Perfume upsetting the odds on Banbas Minnie in the Oaks decider, having four lengths to spare at the escape.

THE reputed head of a 14th-century Italian saint was sold for €3,500 at an auction in Co Meath yesterday.

WHO would be a nominator in the Irish Cup? You pay €1,000 for the privilege, then — unless you’re an owner/nominator — you take pot luck on which dog you’re actually nominating, you’re one of 64 dogs in the running, and if you win, well, you get eight grand.

IT was a disastrous day for favourite backers on the second day of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel yesterday, with the long odds favourites in both the Derby and Oaks going out.

LEGENDARY Kerry trainer Pa Fitzgerald recorded his second J.P. McManus Irish Cup win in-a-row, and his sixth in all, when last season’s Boylesport Derby runner-up, Sandy Sea, landed the €80,000 winning prize for well- known owner Patsy Byrne (Duagh and London) at a well attended and highly successful Patrickswell meeting yesterday.

THE shocks and surprises of the previous two days continued on the final day of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel yesterday where Kingsmill Dynamo, bred by Sean Bleeks, trained by Aidan Roche in Gorey and owned by the Roche-Fitzpatrick Syndicate from Arklow, Co. Wicklow captured the Boylesport.com Derby.

Clonmel is coursing’s Mecca, an annual pilgrimage repeated over the three-day early spring National Coursing Meet at Powerstown Racecourse, but it’s a restricted affair.

WIZARD weaved his magic to claim Corn Na Feile at Abbeyfeale yesterday.

FORMER Bord na gCon officials have cost the State body huge sums in payouts and legal costs as part of ‘confidential’ departure payments following disagreements with the board headed by Paschal Tagart.

Kevin Barry takes a break next week from his duties on the Ballydoyle gallops to focus on the National coursing meeting in Clonmel. Colm O'Connor reports.

HISTORY repeated itself at the opening stage of the Clonmel Festival yesterday to provide one of the three big surprises in the first round of the Boylesports Derby.

UNLUCKY in the Derby Trial Stake finals at Loughrea and Clonmel and Kilsheelan, it was the last chance saloon at North Kilkenny yesterday for the Glounthaune, Co. Cork owned Beyond Flashy.

NORTHERN owner Brendan Matthews was out of luck when the draw for the J. P. McManus Irish Cup was made at the Bogue Inn Tralee on Sunday night.

MICHAEL O’DONOVAN’S Derby hoodoo struck again yesterday when the Tipperary trainer’s Judicial Castelu was turner over by Danaghers Best in the Boylesports Derby final in Clonmel.