He is a few days down the track but Paddy Kennedy is still floating on air after guiding Magic Of Light to finish second in Aintree Grand National, on his first ever ride at the track.

Johne Murphy is best known on these shores as a Munster rugby player who also had a very successful stint with Leicester in England, having learned the game at Newbridge College, Naas, and Lansdowne.

We know there has been something of a cloud hanging over the Ballydoyle horses for a while now, with Aidan O’Brien reporting that the bug was “the worst we’ve had.’’

We know there has been something of a cloud hanging over the Ballydoyle horses for a while now, with Aidan O’Brien reporting that the bug was “the worst we’ve had.’’

It is highly unlikely Ger Lyons will ever be champion flat trainer.

Hiring six senior accountants for the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) took more than two years amid chaos over getting the jobs approved and advertised.

If you backed the Kevin Prendergast-trained Himmah to win a five furlongs two-year-old maiden at Navan last Saturday then you were more than entitled to feel especially piddled-off with Irish racing.

Twenty-three years ago, Limerick jockey Declan Murphy’s skull was so badly fractured in a fall at Haydock Park that his death was confirmed by the Racing Post. Prematurely as it happened, writes Colm Greaves.

Lone British raider Moonlit Show plundered the listed Blenheim 2-Y-0 Stakes, feature of yesterday’s action in Fairyhouse, giving her trainer Charlie Fellows a first stakes-race success and initiating a double for Billy Lee, which brought him to the 50-winner mark for the first time in a season.

There are huge fields for most of today’s races at the Curragh, which hosts a replacement card for the recently abandoned meeting at Sligo, but punters should be rewarded for supporting Khukri in the opening race, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden for two-year-old colts and geldings.

Awtaad appears likely to take his chance in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 27.

The progressive Qatari Hunter justified favouritism in the €100,000 Nasrullah Handicap, completing a superb 1259/1 four-timer for Jim Bolger and stable-jockey Kevin Manning in Leopardstown last night.

A seven-race card gets the three-day Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby card at the Curragh, and Mutadaffeq gets the nap to send punters home on a high.

Arguably the best week of racing of the year gets underway this afternoon, when Royal Ascot kicks off with the Queen Anne Stakes. 

Galileo Gold will face seven rivals when he chases a Classic double in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh tomorrow.

Amongst those in attendance at yesterday morning’s launch of the 2016 flat season at the Curragh were the legendary figures of Jim Bolger, Dermot Weld and Johnny Murtagh who, true to form, entertained as they spoke of past, present and future, often throwing and receiving good-humoured jibes. 

Found, winner of the Breeders Cup Turf last autumn, recorded her first win of the new season when quickening up well to beat Success Days and favourite Fascinating Rock in the Group 3 Camelot Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

Off the track since winning her maiden in Navan back in April, the Kevin Prendergast-trained Bebhinn proved herself an exciting juvenile when winning the listed Blenheim 2-Y-0 Stakes in Fairyhouse yesterday.

Rupert Lamb put previous frustrating runs over hurdles behind him with a very smart display in the featured Download The Free Racing Post Mobile App Handicap Hurdle last night at Killarney last night.

Dermot Weld was the Galway Festival’s top trainer for the 29th time in the last 30 years. He had five winners, while Willie Mullins trained eight winners and Tony Martin saddled six.

Runner-up on his recent debut at the Curragh, Lieutenant General should land the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden in Naas tonight.

Harasava should give Pat Smullen the perfect send-off ahead of Royal Ascot by landing tonight’s Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction Maiden in Sligo.

Tamadhor gave Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas form a boost when landing the Book Tickets On-Line @fairyhouse.ie Race for Kevin Prendergast and Chris Hayes in Fairyhouse last night.

The Kevin Prendergast-trained Tamadhor will be strongly-fancied to strike a blow for the classic generation in the Book Tickets On-Line fairyhouse.ie Race at the Meath venue tonight.

Anthem Alexander must be strongly fancied to make a successful seasonal debut in the Group 3 Racing Post Lacken Stakes in Naas, unless the expected rain causes a serious deterioration in ground conditions.

Moviesta is on course for a Royal Ascot return following a racecourse gallop at the Curragh on Sunday.

Pleascach is set for the Irish Derby after repelling hot favourite Found to claim Classic glory in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh yesterday.

Richard Hannon is under no illusions about the task facing Ivawood ahead of his rematch with Gleneagles in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas.

The Jim Bolger-trained Flight Risk sprang a 50/1 shock in the Group 3 Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes, feature of yesterday’s action at the Curragh.

Katie T, winner of the Boylesports Hurdle at Leopardstown back in January, oozed class as she brushed aside six rivals in the Follow Limerickraces On Twitter Handicap on Student Race Day in Limerick yesterday, providing Chris Hayes with the highlight of a superb 966/1 four-timer.

Tom Gibney is hoping a campaign centered around a crack at the Boylesports Irish Grand National will reap benefits for 2012 hero Lion Na Bearnai.