Knee-high miracle calf Jack is very likely the smallest living calf in the world — so small his owner initially mistook him for a magpie.

Martin Johnson admitted England’s 20-16 defeat to Ireland was a “tough, tough loss”.

Tom O’Leary would love to see the clouds gather over Aintree this week with every drop of rain set to aid the chances of his confirmed mudlark Preists Leap in the John Smith’s Grand National.

TOM O’Leary reports Preists Leap to be in rude health ahead of his tilt at John Smith’s Grand National glory.

Tom O’Leary reports Preists Leap to be in rude health ahead of his tilt at John Smith’s Grand National glory.

Jim Dreaper believes the postponement of last weekend’s Irish Hennessy meeting could have worked in Notre Pere’s favour after the weights for this year’s John Smith’s Grand National were revealed.

Bookmakers are already running scared of Royal County Star as Tony Martin’s hope is set to carry just 10st 4lb in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Monday.

Glasgow 24 Munster 13

PART of the selection process to appoint the head of a new academic college at University College Cork was cancelled after material, relating to some candidates, was circulated among staff.

Trainer Michael O’Brien is eyeing a big-race double with Essex after the five-year-old justified favouritism in the Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Barry Geraghty was once again the star of the show at Leopardstown today as he took the two most valuable races of the afternoon courtesy of Essex and Newmill.

Newmill ran out a tired winner of the Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Novice Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon.

MOSCOW FLYER appears to have scared off most of his rivals as he faces a maximum of five challengers in the Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase at Leopardstown next Monday.

Tom O’Leary has pencilled in Newmill for his eagerly-awaited chasing debut at Naas on Saturday as long as he has not been affected by a bout of coughing in the yard.

WILLIAM EVERS (Irish Examiner letters, August 26) unfortunately missed the point in my response to his original letter of August 19 in which he insensitively exclaimed that a person who can’t read or write isn’t worth anything.

I CANNOT understand why simple improvements are overlooked in this country.

I’M afraid William Evers isn’t as well educated as he might think (Irish Examiner letters, August 19). The gall of him to ask “of what use is a person who is illiterate and cannot add or subtract?”

IT bemuses me that an unnamed government figure stated that “we haven’t a hope in hell of filling jobs in Cavan, Monaghan and west Cork” (Irish Examiner, July 31).

IN RESPONSE to your lead story, ‘Sinn Féin economic policies to cost €5bn more a year’ (Irish Examiner, July 12), the situation is not as bad as your political editor, Harry McGee, implies.

FAIR play to Fibber Magees. Perhaps this is the start of Ireland’s own battle against prohibition, although in this case, smoking tobacco isn’t illegal.