JUST one more interminable day to go now before the mother of all Irish derbies, but the highlight of Chris Whitaker’s season, of his entire stay here in Ireland, has already come and gone. His wife Alison gave birth to their third child a few weeks back and the Whitakers now have three delicate, precious buds to nurture in the shapes of Lilly Rose, Jasmine Blossom and, the latest arrival, Poppy Petal.

The British fertility watchdog may have to relax its rules on “designer babies” because of mounting pressure from doctors and parents, a leading specialist said today.

AS a child I was particularly chilled by the story of Pandora’s Box. In Greek mythology Pandora and her husband Epimetheus are visited by Jupiter’s messenger, Mercury, who gives them a box for safe keeping.