FRAN BERRY consolidated his position at the top of the Jockeys Championship table when partnering Mama Jaffa to victory in the JPS Property Development Handicap at Ballinrobe last night.

MILLIONAIRE business man J.P. McManus is to be honoured by GAA president, Sean Kelly for his service to the Association.

WHICHEVER way you look at it, Limerick hurling is desperately in need of a real boost.

CAN you just imagine the envy of golf promoters and sponsors the world over when they saw the list of players for the J.P. McManus invitational pro-am at Adare Manor on July 4/5.

TRAINER Tom Taaffe and jockey Davy Russell, who will have their attention focussed on today’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, were both on the mark in yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day action at Wexford.

RACING at Kilbeggan last Saturday night came close to being cancelled when the jockeys’ valets said they would not work unless they were given a special payment of €130, which they got from the racecourses for working Saturday evenings last year.

Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has instructed Commerzbank to examine the possibility of bidding for football club Manchester United, reports the Financial Times.

THE BOARD at Manchester United remains confident that Alex Ferguson’s relationship with John Magnier does not threaten the stability of the world’s richest club.

YOU don’t win 72-hole golf tournaments on the first day, but three of the six strong Irish challenge in the Dunhill Links are sitting nicely after yesterday’s opening round in surprisingly agreeable weather conditions over the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

KICKHAM, owned by J.P. McManus , seventh in the Galway Guinness Hurdle, got back to winning form at Tipperary yesterday with a hard earned win in the Frank Hogan Limerick Mercedes Benz Novice Hurdle.

THOSE people unwise enough to write off Tiger Woods after his failure in the Masters and US Open may have large doses of humble pie as part of their diet by the end of next week.

FORMER Fine Gael T.D, Liam Burke and his co-owner, Mossie Barry, received a tremendous welcome when the arrived home in Cork on the Manchester flight yesterday afternoon with the Waterloo Cup, following their success in the prestigious coursing event at Altcar the previous day with their bitch Henrietta.