The hopeful nap vote falls on Tellherimnothere in the June 16th and 22nd Twilight Racing Maiden Hurdle on a difficult to solve and less than inspiring card at Limerick this afternoon.

Excelebration, a Group 1 winner for Marco Botti last season made a successful debut for Aidan O’Brien when outclassing his six rivals in the Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

Blinkered for the first time, the David Wachman-trained Chrysanthemum landed the first stakes race of the new flat season, the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes, when proving too strong for favourite Twirl and Princess Sinead in glorious sunshine at the Curragh yesterday.

New Approach got his stallion career off to the ideal start as his first son, Dawn Approach, made a winning debut in the Tally Ho Stud European Breeders Fund Maiden at the Curragh.

SO YOU THINK is set to go off the red-hot favourite for the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday after just six runners stood their ground at the confirmation stage.

KASTANIA can prove good enough to land the nap in the moderate Fairyhouse Venue Hire Maiden at the Co Meath track tonight.

Misty For Me floored multiple Group One winner Midday in sensational style when making all the running in the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Misty For Me upstaged Midday in remarkable fashion when making all the running to land the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

MICHAEL Stoute’s Carlton House is an intended runner in Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Top-class fillies Midday and Snow Fairy feature among a field of eight declared for the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

MIDDAY is one of 14 possible runners for the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Midday is one of 14 possible runners for the Stobart Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

DAVID Wachman would like to see some rain before committing Chrysanthemum to Sunday’s Etihad Airways 1000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Casamento was significantly cut in price for next year’s 2000 Guineas after winning the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

MICHAEL Halford described Casamento as by far the best horse he has trained after the colt gave him his biggest ever success in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh yesterfday.

RUBY WALSH has a powerful book of rides at Navan this afternoon and it will be a major surprise should he leave empty-handed.

Chrysanthemum proved a cut above when making a winning debut in the Flame Of Tara EBF Stakes at the Curragh.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today hinted he would not push ahead with a bill allowing women to ascend Japan’s imperial throne.

THE only daughter of Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko married a childhood friend yesterday and began life as a commoner, leaving the royal palace and giving up the title of princess so the wedding could take place.

Wearing a simple white dress and pearls, Japan’s Princess Sayako bid farewell to palace life today to wed a Tokyo city employee in a low-key ceremony, marking the first time that an emperor’s daughter had married a 'commoner'.

The Emperor and Empress of Japan are set to visit Ireland next month, it emerged today.

After years of disappointing speculation about suitors, the engagement of Princess Sayako to a Tokyo city bureaucrat, a commoner, became official today with an announcement by Japan’s Imperial Household Agency.

Prince Takamado, a cousin of Japanese Emperor Akihito and an outspoken advocate for less secrecy surrounding the royal family, died in a Tokyo hospital after collapsing on a squash court today. He was 47.