The lightly raced Downdaniel Kite can put punters on the front foot in tonight’s battle with the bookmakers at Curraheen Park.

We’re still in the exploratory zone for what television can do for Irish Greyhound racing, but Tuesday night’s programme from Wimbledon, which aired on Sky Sports, was another good example of how high-quality racing and a good production can showcase much of what’s great about the sport.

In Saturday night's second session of the first round of the ETS Irish Greyhound Derby, the bookmakers enjoyed some great results, most notably when that brilliant servant Abbeyville Tipp triumphed in a race in which Droopys Jet and Ballymac Vic were both eclipsed.

The question marks over Sparta Maestro’s participation in tonight’s second semi-final of the Kerry Agribusiness St Leger at Limerick leave a lingering shadow over the race as a punting medium but, more importantly, over the stake as a whole.

The quarter-finals of the Kerry Agribusiness St Leger feature at Limerick track this evening and Skywalker Puma, who came out best in a hot second-round heat, looks to have a straightforward task in the last of tonight’s heats.

Just two days to the semi-finals of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park and, thankfully, still no negatives emanating from any of the kennels involved.

The 2012 Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels gets underway tonight and all 11 first-round heats consume the bumper programme.

The draw for the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels took place at Curraheen Park yesterday afternoon and the track is set for a bumper night’s racing this weekend with the confirmation that all 11 first round heats will be run on Saturday.

When Owen McKenna’s Confident Rankin went around Curraheen in 28.25 in a trial last Friday he sent out a message that the Red Mills Irish Laurels is not going to be easily won.

Shelbourne Park will be in danger of bursting at the seams this evening as the Ladbrokes Irish Derby draws to what should be a thrilling conclusion.

Two days to the final of the Ladbrokes Irish Derby final and a total absence of any negative stories concerning the finalists.

There is something very magical about the Derby double. On Saturday night at Shelbourne Park the 81st Irish Derby final will be run and in that time only one greyhound has managed to win it more than once.

Skywalker Puma and Cuil Cougar both produced foot-perfect displays to dominate their respective semi-finals of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne on Saturday.

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

The Ladbrokes Irish Derby moves a step further tonight with eight more first round heats at Shelbourne and this session will see the majority of the very strong Dolores Ruth team swinging into action.

Over half the required 144 entries for the Ladbrokes Irish Derby have been received with another four days to go before Saturday’s closing stage.

With the Champion Stakes and Derby just around the corner, there are no major competitions currently underway and as a result it’s one of the more low-key Saturday night’s at Shelbourne.

Razldazl Rioga would be a popular winner of the Betdaq Race of Champions at Tralee and the Laurels winner is drawn for a big run in tonight’s final.

There have been many great nights at Tralee over the years but Saturday’s Betdaq Night of Champions will surely be one of the greatest ever.

Milldean Tally produced another brilliant performance when winning the 2012 Sporting Press Irish Oaks at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night.

A mixture of Irish classic and major winners, brilliant local talent and two high-class English raiders make the Betdaq Race of Champions a huge attraction and the semi-finals should attract a smashing crowd to Tralee on Friday night.

Dolores Ruth’s domination of the Williamhill.com English Derby continued at Wimbledon last night as her three runners all effortlessly qualified for Saturday’s semi-finals with both Razldazl Jayfkay and Razldazl Rioga scoring hugely impressive victories.

There could hardly have been a better line-up for the Betfair 600 final, which will be featured on RTE’s first live telecast of the year on Saturday night from Shelbourne.

Razldazl Jayfkay created history in the second round of the williamhill.com English Derby at Wimbledon when posting new figures for the 480 metre trip.

Dolores Ruth is the trainer to follow in this evening’s quarter-finals of the Betfair 600 at Shelbourne Park as the Rathangan handler sends out three of the four heats favourites.

Dolores Ruth is the trainer to follow in this evening’s quarter-finals of the Betfair 600 at Shelbourne Park as the Rathangan handler sends out three of the four heats favourites.

The dreadful weather conditions yesterday made things difficult for some trainers heading for the English Derby at Wimbledon which starts tomorrow night with 11 Irish runners in action in the first session.

Many of Ireland’s fastest and most powerful trackers will be put to the test when they line up for tonight’s opening round of the Betfair 600.

No greyhound competition in this country can boast a record quite like the Easter Cup. It was the first event ever run at Shelbourne Park and it was set up to commemorate the Easter Rising in Dublin.

The old adage “there’s life in the old dog yet” was pretty appropriate at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night as the veteran pairing of Broadstrand Lad and Tyrur Big Mike impressed in the second round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup.

Derby champion Razldazl George will make his seasonal bow this evening when he lines out in the opening round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park.

Since the deal took effect at the start of January, the SIS coverage of Shelbourne Park racing has been restricted to far flung fields.

They must have thought the day would never come, but the long suffering patrons at Youghal track finally heard the news yesterday that the seaside track is to get a €100,000 contribution from the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) to deliver improvements at the track.

There’s simply no stopping Rathangan greyhound trainer Dolores Ruth.

Owen McKenna, who spent some years training greyhound across the water, could be a regular visitor to the British tracks over the coming months.

Having bypassed a planned trial spin at Shelbourne on Saturday night, leading Irish tracker Milldean Panther is likely to have his first trial of the year at headquarters this morning.

THE summer staging of the London Olympics and the Euro Championships have had the combined effect of making the early season build-up to the English Derby a rather rushed affair.

A MOST eventful year on the Irish greyhound front accelerates towards its end and it will finish as it began - with a flurry of top class open action all over the country.

THE COMERFORD Cakes National Puppy Stake ranks very high on my list of favourite greyhound stakes of the entire year but even allowing for that, this year’s renewal has a scent of the old adage that too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

DOLORES Ruth’s magnificent year continued at Shelbourne Park when she was presented with the Irish Greyhound Review Personality of the Year Award.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is the centrepiece of a magnificent card at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is building up to a huge crescendo with two fantastic semi-finals lined up for Saturday night.

SOME Florida sun shone on Curraheen Park on Saturday night as Fr Bryan Dalton’s Deerfield Music and Deerfield Sings gave the US-based owner a double in the quarter-finals of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels. Both are trained by Mossie O’Connor.

THE final of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels will struggle to assemble a field of the quality of tonight's third quarter-final heat, where four of the top five dogs in the outright betting line-up, with national record holder Leeview Jet included for further spice.