Darren Clarke has thrown his hat into the ring to captain the European team in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

The champagne had not even dried on the European team room walls before thoughts turned to the next Ryder Cup trophy defence and, more pertinently, who will succeed Jose Maria Olazabal as captain at Gleneagles in 2014.

Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, two of Jose Maria Olazabal’s assistants as Europe amazingly retained the Ryder Cup from 10-4 down, are seen as the two leading candidates to take over from the Spaniard for the 2014 match at Gleneagles.

The Arthur Moore-trained Claragh Native completed back-to-back wins in the Win A Diamond Ring Today Handicap Hurdle when landing a tidy gamble under an ultra-confident Davy Russell in Downpatrick yesterday.

Paul McGinley has revealed Darren Clarke has agreed not to put his name forward as a possible 2014 Ryder Cup captain to aid the Dubliner’s hopes for the position.

ROI DU MEE made every yard of the running to trounce hot-pot Forpadydeplasterer in the three-runner, Grade 3 Star Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

ALFA BEAT, successful in the race a year earlier, did the business again when storming to victory in yesterday’s Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.

EVEN titleholders have aspirations and the 2010 Irish Open champion Ross Fisher is no different from the rest of the field this week in looking at Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke’s major victories as a spur to further personal success.

LEINSTER fans have had enough reasons to curse Declan Kidney over the years, and if James Downey gets the better of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy in today’s Heineken Cup final they would be justified in hurling insults at the Ireland boss once again.

CHARLES BYRNES produced one of the great training performances at Listowel yesterday when landing the Guinness Kerry National with Alfa Beat.

AIR Force One should deny last year’s winner One Cool Cookie in the Guinness Chase, feature of the St. Patrick’s Day action at Down Royal.

MORNING SUPREME kept her unbeaten record over jumps intact with an effortless victory in the Listed Dawn Omega Milk EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Limerick yesterday.

MIDFIELDER Frank Lampard insists Chelsea can fend off any new year title push from Manchester United after the Blues halted their mini-crisis with a hard-earned victory over bottom club Portsmouth on Wednesday night.

IRELAND Under-20 rugby coach Allen Clarke has included six Munster-based players in the 26-man national squad for next months IRB Junior WorldChampionship in Japan.

BENEATH The Radar booked his ticket to next week’s Punchestown Festival when comfortably landing the odds in the McGrath Quarry Group Hurdle at Ballinrobe last night.

THE Christy Roche-trained Clarkey got off the mark at the 13th time of asking when taking the Holy Cross Maiden Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

Ray Wilkins has warned Europe’s elite they will have to pay big money to land any of their stars in the January transfer window.

IN theory Shakervilz had it all to do in the betchronicle.com Hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday, but was best for money in the ring, 5-2 to 2-1, and duly did the business.

SEVEN Disciples should prove hard to beat in the Ladbrokes Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick this afternoon.

TADHG KENNELLY has warned top-ranking GAA officials that their ailing relationship with the AFL could lead to the wholesale recruiting of young Irish talent.

Darren Clarke’s English caddie Billy Foster insists he has not been approached to start working full-time with world number one Tiger Woods next season.

CLARKEY, who has an absence of 94 days to overcome, can land the nap in the Spring Double Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park today.

HERON’S FLIGHT is the nap choice to win the Bioverda Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

SHANE WARNE is backing Australia to continue their relentless domination of world cricket — even after more than a third of their star-studded line-up has retired.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON cannot wait for Ireland’s first-ever hosting of the Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006.