Doubles for jockeys Chris Hayes and Rory Cleary, a brace for Curragh trainer Jim Gorman and a hard-earned win for the Willie Mullins-trained hot-pot Blackstairmountain proved the highlights of last night’s flat action in Bellewstown, where ground condition turned soft after heavy showers before and during racing.

DERMOT WELD wasted no time smashing the record for the number of winners trained at the Galway festival when Rainforest Magic took his score for the week to twelve in the opening Guinness Handicap Hurdle at Ballybrit last night.

FORMER MEP Avril Doyle has surprised Fine Gael by withdrawing from the race to be the party’s presidential candidate.

Fine Gael is calling on the Government to beef up its computer security systems following revelations that 80 departmental laptops have been lost or stolen in the past five years.

The Government must back up its attacks on Sinn Féin’s links to the IRA and criminal activities, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said today.

THE decision by a group of TDs to skip the first two weeks of the Dáil term to play rugby in Australia was last night condemned as unjustifiable and “stupid”.