The appointment of Phil Meaney as Chairman of Bord na gCon, as exclusively reported in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, was confirmed yesterday morning by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney.

DOLORES Ruth is responsible for the favourite in both semi-finals of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park this evening and while both look likely to qualify for next week's final they will need to be on their toes to emerge on top this evening.

The Irish team has made a fine start to the Scottish Derby and three members will be in action in the semi-finals at Shawfield on Saturday.

It’s another very exciting week with top class open racing at many venues.

IT HAS been over six months since Tyrur Big Mike raced, but the Derby and Champion Stakes runner-up is hot favourite to lift the Collage Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup, which starts at Shelbourne tonight.

THE impending closure of Newbridge cast a gloom over the Irish greyhound industry this week but there is strong reason to hope it can rise from the ruins of this development.

IRELAND’S finest will be in action at Shelbourne Park this evening in the second round of the Tote Gold Cup. Last weekend’s action featured many superb performances and more of the same is expected tonight.

BOTH Shelbourne Park and Limerick will play host to a number of Ireland’s finest this evening as the Tote Gold Cup and Roche’s Feeds Oaks commence at the respective venues.

FEARS that the current economic problems would decimate the sponsorship scene have proved unfounded and there was double good news this week with confirmation that existing sponsorship of the Easter Cup at Shelbourne and the Produce Stakes at Clonmel is to continue this year.

ON a relatively quiet weekend for greyhound racing, the focus falls on at Shelbourne Park this evening as many leading trackers flex their muscles in preparation for a crack at the upcoming Tote Gold Cup.

The weather continues to dominate the greyhound headlines and it was a blank countrywide last night with both Shelbourne and Kilkenny called off due to safety reasons.

SLIPPERY Bob was the star in an eventful second round of the Kerry Agri Business Irish St Leger at Limerick on Saturday evening.

THE meeting of litter brothers Farley Turbo and Farley Blitz in Heat 5 is the most intriguing clash in the second round of the Kerry Agri Business St Leger at Limerick this evening.