Thirty years ago, a stubborn mare piloted by a veteran jockey and trained by a quiet genius produced the most iconic, spine-tingling moment in Cheltenham Festival history

Although plenty of punters who got their fingers burnt on Blazer in last weekend’s Betfair Hurdle, at Newbury, it is far too soon to write off the beaten favourite.

Nearly Nama’d relished the heavy ground to land his second decent pot of the season at Fairyhouse in the Underwriting Exchange Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase 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.

Connor King reached another notable milestone in his career when he rode out his claim on board the Rodger Sweeney-trained Daliyan in the Join Us On September 20th Handicap in Gowran Park last evening.

Tony Mullins followed-up his six wins at the Galway Festival when saddling Beau Et Sublime to land the Eurona BriskNet Maiden Hurdle for Gigginstown House Stud in Roscommon last night.

A great weekend got even better for trainer Hugo Palmer, when his Home Of The Brave ran out a most impressive winner of the Group 3 Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes, to supplement Covert Love’s success in the Darley Irish Oaks just 24 hours earlier.

An epidemic of misguided revisionism seems to be unbalancing some normally straight thinking folk lately.

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

Danny Mullins proved the undoubted star of last night’s jumps action in Wexford, completing a superb 41/1 treble on Last Encounter, Ballinaboola Prince and Moonunderwater.

Another part of the empire built by businessman Seán Quinn has been sold in a deal believed to be worth in the region of €25m.

Galway Plate hero Shane Shortall continued in top form when registering a double on Cassells Rock and Point Of Rescue in Bellewstown last night but also incurred a two-day whip ban.

The Tony Mullins-trained Sammy Black and John Ryan’s Kilcarry Bridge captured the big ‘pots’ on McHale day at Ballinrobe last night.

Danny Mullins geared up for a huge week at the Cheltenham Festival in the best possible fashion as he completed a Naas double aboard Gallant Oscar in the Woodlands Park 100 Club Leinster National.

The Mullins brothers, Tony and Willie, and cousins, Danny and Emmet, were on the mark with Sam Da Vinci and Dr.Schultz respectively at yesterday’s Bank Holiday meeting in Downpatriclk.

People clinging to Catholic beliefs by their fingernails have been told to look to Bono for hope.

Danny Mullins has expressed his delight after being named retained jockey for emerging owner Barry Connell.

Five priests in the Diocese of Limerick, who were cleared by gardaí of child sexual abuse allegations, have been refused permission to return to ministry, according to the audit carried out by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC).

The annual challenge between Irish and Australian national hunt jockeys takes place at the end of the month and the lucky quartet representing the Tricolour were named in Galway yesterday.

Michael Hourigan’s Run With The Wind proved far too good for a bitterly disappointing Thomas Edison in the Dawn Omega Milk Novice Hurdle at a packed Killarney yesterday.

Three-times Grade One winner Follow The Plan has been given top weight of 11st 10lb in the tote.com Galway Plate.

On a day which saw Ruby Walsh double-up on The Folkes Choice and Devil’s Elbow, the Tony Mullins-trained Clarach booked her ticket to the Guinness Galway Hurdle when coasting to a comfortable victory over the Walsh-ridden Pires in the Adare Festival Weekend Rated Hurdle in Limerick yesterday.

Former champion Pat Smullen was seen at his brilliant and determined best when getting odds-on favourite Ceol Rua home a narrow winner of the Ladies Day At Ballinrobe Maiden in Ballinrobe last night.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins, currently in France pursuing potential stars of the future, dominated last night’s action in Punchestown, completing a treble with Raptor, Letherbelucky and Passage Vendome.

On a night when trainer Tony Mullins and his jockey-son Danny shared a 98/1 double, it was the Willie Mullins-trained mare Glens Melody which proved the equine star in Sligo, landing the concluding Cleveragh Flat Race in emphatic style.

JESSICA Harrington’s Operating is the nap choice to get off the mark at the third time of asking in the Bumper at Punchestown tonight.

BOSTON Bob and Zaidpour provided Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh with a big-race double at Navan yesterday, where the three scheduled chases were belatedly cancelled due to patches of frozen ground.

Zaidpour had no trouble landing the odds in the Tara Hurdle at Navan this afternoon.

SEVEN singing priests from the Diocese of Limerick are about to serve up a special celebration, with a Christmas CD and a concert later this month.

THE Vatican has come under attack from priests in the Diocese of Limerick over the way it is going about finding a successor for Bishop Donal Murray who resigned in December 2009.

BACHELOR Affair made all under Tommy Treacy to record a popular local success in the featured Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Gowran Park yesterday.

THE debate on the future role of the Catholic Church in primary education must be conducted in a spirit of openness, the Administrator of the Diocese of Limerick said yesterday.

LEADING greyhound trainer Paul Hennessy made a dream start to his career as a racehorse handler when Cheers Buddy, his first runner, got up close home under a power-packed ride by Joseph O’Brien to land the i105-107FM Handicap at Dundalk last night.

Champion Irish greyhound trainer Paul Hennessy will branch out tomorrow night when he saddles his first two runners at a horse race meeting.

A NEW child protection tsar has been appointed by the Limerick diocese to oversee child protection throughout the diocese.

A grief-stricken community will gather tomorrow to remember a loving mother who was murdered with her two young children and a friend.

Detectives were today trying to piece together the final moments before two women and two children were violently murdered in a quiet suburban estate.

PADDY MULLINS, one of the greatest trainers this country has ever produced, died yesterday aged 91.

JONJO O’NEILL and Frankie Dettori led the tributes following the death of legendary Irish trainer Paddy Mullins who passed away peacefully, aged 91, at 7am yesterday morning.

Jonjo O’Neill and Frankie Dettori led the tributes following the death of legendary Irish trainer Paddy Mullins.