Bookmaker Ladbrokes today said profits were down 58% after it suffered a barren start to the English Premier League football season.

Munster 19 Sale Sharks 17

IN THE enforced absence of Ireland’s Lions and Churchill Cup internationals, Munster will be giving youth its fling in tonight’s friendly against Sale Sharks at Musgrave Park (7pm).

BOOKMAKER Ladbrokes said profits were down by a third after punters enjoyed a successful Cheltenham Festival.

Munster 37 Sale 14

Ronan O'Gara has today been named in the Munster side to play Sale Sharks in the crucial Heineken Cup match at Thomond Park on Friday evening.

Ladbrokes today said trading remained in line with market expectations, despite a recent run of poor football and horseracing results for the bookmaker.

English clubs' dominance of the Uefa Champions League today helped bookmaker Ladbrokes to post better-than-expected trading figures.

Christina Aguilera has shot up FHM’s Sexiest Women list thanks to her post-pregnancy curves.

Ladbrokes plc today announced its full year results for the year ended 31 December 2007, revealing an increase in operating profit of 43.6% at €26.3m.

Former glamour model Heather Mills is set to be crowned one of the world's sexiest women in a new poll.

Heather Mills is about to be crowned one of the world’s sexiest women.

Ashley Cole has scored another own goal – his wife Cheryl has been declared one of the world’s sexiest women.

England star Jonny Wilkinson produced a superb wet-weather display of goal-kicking to lead Newcastle to a European Challenge Cup victory over Brive at the Parc Municipal des Sports.

SALE director of rugby Phillipe Saint-Andre insisted his side’s Heineken Cup hopes remains alive after beating Stade Francais at Edgeley Park.

Harry Herbert was keen to look to the future opportunities available for racing when he made his Gimcrack winner’s speech at York racecourse last night.

Shares in gaming group 888 Holdings surged today as investors reacted to the possibility of a £470m (€702.7m) takeover by high street bookie Ladbrokes.

BEN FODEN proved an inspired deputy for England wing Mark Cueto with a clinical hat-trick as Sale kick-started their Heineken Cup campaign with a bonus-point victory against Italian minnows Calvisano.

London Irish 28 Leeds 24

LEEDS secured an invaluable 25-14 win over fellow strugglers Bath yesterday as the leading four clubs all won their clashes to cement their position atop the English Premiership.

Next year’s Ladbrokes St Leger meeting will be staged at York while Doncaster undergoes a £55m (€81.6m) redevelopment.

Ladbrokes was today neck-and-neck with William Hill as the UK’s biggest bookmaker after buying 141 family-run betting shops.

England internationals Martin Corry and Mark Cueto have both been nominated for a prestigious end-of-season award.

Leeds Tykes 15 London Irish 6

Leeds Tykes put their woeful Zurich Premiership form to one side with a deserved win over London Irish in the Powergen Cup semi-final.

APPLE last night introduced the European version of its iTunes Music Store into Ireland.

London Irish 12 Leeds 16

Cheltenham have unveiled a major name change and a boost in prize money for the Stayers’ Hurdle at next year’s Festival meeting.

YESTERDAY’S arrests over allegations of horse race fixing follow a number of high-profile controversies in the sport.

Officials at the Jockey Club are keenly awaiting tomorrow’s The Money Programme in the wake of controversial comments made by Ladbrokes chief executive Chris Bell.

Harlequins have signed the Irish international Jeremy Staunton on a two-year contract.

England World Cup pair Will Greenwood and Jason Leonard both return to the Harlequins team for Saturday’s Zurich Premiership wild card play-off clash against Leicester at Welford Road.

Leeds have signed England Under-21 centre Chris Bell from Zurich Premiership rivals Harlequins.

England Under-21s 27 Ireland Under-21s 19

ENGLAND will meet the Six Nations’ ‘form side’ in tonight’s U21 international against Ireland at Kingsholm.

England were consigned to a play-off for seventh and eighth place today after being beaten by Wales in the IRB Under-21 World Cup.

Harlequins have completed the signing of Fiji centre Viliame Satala.

Ladbrokes, the world’s biggest bookmaker, is set to spice up its betting shops with a £15m (€23.6m) investment to offer punters its own broadcasting line-up, it said today.

Ailing Harlequins are hoping the return of talismanic Ireland captain Keith Wood will provide them with a speedy hangover cure.

Munster v Harlequins

Harlequins 21 Leicester 38