Dermot Weld reached a significant milestone in his long and illustrious career in Naas last night when a double, with Discipline in the listed Naas Oaks Trial and Sea Swift in the fillies maiden, saw him reach the 4,000 winner mark.

Recently back from a stint in Japan, Shane Foley celebrated his 28th birthday in style when completing a double on Russian Soul and Hat Alnasar for his boss Michael Halford in Dundalk last night.

Roman Impero, middle leg of a treble for trainer Michael Halford, and the Jim Bolger-trained Mandatario booked their tickets to the All-Weather Championships in Lingfield Park on Good Friday when winning their respective Fast Track Qualifiers in Dundalk last night.

Robbie Downey, chasing 2013 champion Connor King in the race for the apprentice title, rode out his 5lb. claim when partnering Go Kart to a convincing win in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden at Down Royal yesterday.

Connor King reached another notable milestone in his career when he rode out his claim on board the Rodger Sweeney-trained Daliyan in the Join Us On September 20th Handicap in Gowran Park last evening.

Having made such a good impression on his return, in a maiden hurdle at Sligo recently, Long Dog should take a world of beating in the opening Topaz Novice Hurdle on day two of the Galway Festival.

Hero of Saturday’s Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, highlight of a weekend which yielded four wins, seven-times champion Pat Smullen partnered Lean And Keen to victory in the featured www.thetote.com Handicap in heavy ground in Ballinrobe last night.

The progressive, Aidan O’Brien-trained Fields Of Athenry proved a hugely impressive winner of the listed Challenge Stakes as continuous rain turned the ground yielding to soft in Leopardstown last night.

Toscanini and Queen Of Sicily, trained by Michael Halford and Jim Bolger respectively, provided the powerful Godolphin team with a double in Naas last night.

Convergence captured the listed Patton Stakes for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane in Dundalk last night, denying favourite War Envoy, Ryan Moore’s first ride on the track, by a length.

Smuggler’s Cove was an impressive winner of the listed Star Appeal 2-Y-0 Stakes in Dundalk last night, giving Aidan O’Brien his third successive win in the race.

Last season’s Cheltenham Bumper winner Silver Concorde made a successful return to action when justifying 2/5 favouritism in the two-mile Win A Ski Holiday Racecard Competition Maiden, the first leg of a double for Pat Smullen, in Navan yesterday.

Pat Smullen reached 100 winners in a season for the first time with a double at Gowran Park highlighted by the victory of Brooch in the feature Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.

Tom Madden, so impressive when winning on Mahrajaan on Wednesday, did it again at Listowel yesterday when landing the featured Guinness Handicap on bottom weight Shalamzar for the Tony Martin yard.

"He’s a little dinger", quipped Katie Walsh, after she had guided well backed Alton Bay to land the BBQ Evening Maiden at Tramore last night.

Carla Bianca finished strongly to make it back-to-back Listed wins in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Hurry Harriet Stakes at Gowran Park last night.

The John Oxx-trained Rayna and in-form apprentice Gary Halpin continued on their winning ways when landing the €25,000 Connacht Oaks in Sligo last night.

Vastonea gave veteran trainer Kevin Prendergast his sixth win in the race when sweeping through late to land the featured Topaz Mile Handicap at Galway last night.

It really is the calm before the storm in Irish racing this weekend.

Chance To Dance is thriving on his racing and he won his fourth race of the campaign, when he defied top weight to win The Nasrullah Handicap at Leopardstown last evening.

Aidan O’Brien’s El Salvador found plenty in the closing stages to justify favouritism in the SeanieMac.com Race at Killarney last night.

The Paul Townend-ridden Pires gained a last-gasp victory in the featured Water Towers Chase in Ballinrobe, continuing the superb form of trainer Tony Martin.

A young Cork businessman is fighting for his life in hospital after an early morning assault and robbery in the US.

KEVIN Manning and Michael Hussey shared the riding honours when recording doubles at last night’s pre-Christmas meeting in Dundalk.

IT was a mixed night for teenager Colin Keane at Dundalk last night, completing the first double of his career, on Mountain Coral and Knockgraffon Lad, and picking up a three-day careless riding ban following an incident in the apprentice handicap.

AS judgement calls go, the decision by the Munster rugby hierarchy to host a breakfast briefing in the heart of Limerick - where a robust dissertation of hot issues such as current form, ticket availability and the particularly thorny issue of Christian Cullen’s net worth to the team - was top drawer.

DLSP prop forward has broken his silence after been cleared of the incident which left former Irish international forward Gary Halpin needing forty stitches to an ear wound.