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.

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.

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.

THE Department of Education is paying an estimated €1,800 a week to transport two west Clare teenagers with special needs by taxi to Ennis because of the lack of a suitable educational facility unit in their locality.

PARENTS of children with special needs have expressed concern about waiting times for assessments and poor communication by some schools.

UP TO 300 special needs assistants (SNAs) have been cut in schools at a time when there is no independent appeals process, an Oireachtas committee was told yesterday.

Leading fancies Shelbourne Aston and College Causeway have been handed very difficult first round tasks in the BCR Print Easter Cup which gets under way at Shelbourne on Saturday night.

POWERSTOWN Park punters, already reeling from a host of shock results in the classics, will this morning be greeted with the disappointing news that favourite Coolcastle Point (Trajectory-Wake Up Time), is a shock withdrawal from the Derby.

THE High Court has reserved judgment in a case brought by actor Vinnie Jones and two other members of a greyhound-owning syndicate who claimed they were not afforded proper procedures to defend themselves against a charge that their winning dog failed a drug test.

ACTOR Vinnie Jones and two other members of a greyhound-owning syndicate were not afforded proper procedures to defend themselves against a charge that their winning dog failed a drug test, the High Court heard yesterday.

PAT CURTIN is enjoying an amazing year, thanks to the achievements of Shelbourne Aston. He is now back in another classic final, with Droopys Arsene safely qualified for next Tuesday’s William Hill St Leger at Wimbledon.

CORK GAA officials are seeking thea re-arrangement of their teams’ schedules in the All-Ireland SFC and SHC championship in Croke Park.

BACKED into favouritism on the night, Indesacjack won a thrilling final to the Kerry Agribusiness Irish St Leger at Limerick on Saturday night to credit owner Larry O'Shea and trainer Jim Morrissey with their first classic success.

FILM star and former soccer ace Vinnie Jones will be summoned to a hearing in Co Tipperary next month to explain why his coursing greyhound tested positive for drugs.

THIRTEEN-MAN Drom-Broadford and St Senan’s booked their places in the Limerick SFC semi-finals with victories over Mungret and Fr Casey’s at the weekend.

It’s Pat Curtin’s first visit to the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel as an ‘official’ trainer. However, he boasts two live contenders in Boavista and Smoking Banner. Diarmuid O’Flynn got the lowdown.

ROASTED bookies and smiling punters summed up a perfect start to the three-day Cheltenham Festival.