Galileo’s Choice justified 9/4 favouritism in the Ballyroan Stakes in Leopardstown last night, recording his second win at Group 3 level and confirming himself on course for the Irish St. Leger next month, with the Melbourne Cup looming as another possible target.

Izzi Top, confidently handled by jockey-in-form William Buick, brushed aside the challenge of favourite Sapphire to give trainer John Gosden a third win in the Group 1 Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

I am looking forward to Derby weekend with great relish as I have a lot of fond memories surrounding the festival.

I am sounding a bit like a broken record talking about the weather and ground here almost on a weekly basis, but readers will understand what a huge bearing it has on what we do.

I have been at Tattersalls the last couple of days and will be there again today.

Horses are unpredictable at the best of times and not even the trainer knows for sure what’s going to happen.

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney focused entirely on Democratic President Barack Obama during a campaign trip ahead of the Wisconsin primary, and predicted a victory that could effectively seal the nomination for him next week.

Rick Santorum won the Louisiana Republican presidential primary, beating front-runner Mitt Romney in the race to challenge President Barack Obama.

I HAVE had some very enjoyable trips to England with my horses over the years and Sandown has been especially kind, with Moscow Flyer doing the business in the Tingle Creek Chase two years in a row.

THERE is no doubt what the highlight of my past week was.

Dancing Rain was an impressive all-the-way winner of the Qipco British Champions Fillies' And Mares' Stakes to give Johnny Murtagh a quickfire double at Ascot.

THERE is only one topic in racing at the moment and that is what’s going on in England with the whips.

TWO of Jessica Harrington’s brightest jumping prospects have been confirmed for next month’s valuable meeting at Down Royal.

YOU can say you’re into the national hunt season proper when you get to October, although it looks like Down Royal at the beginning of November will be when Bostons Angel, Oscars Well and Saludos will make their seasonal reappearances.

TRUST Fame And Glory to leave a disappointing effort last time well behind in this afternoon’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh.

THE forecast for the next week starting tomorrow is that it will be very unsettled so we’re adopting a wait-and-see policy before deciding what to do with Dragon Pulse.

Maybe could head to Longchamp or Newmarket next after stretching her unbeaten record to five in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

MAYBE retained her unbeaten record and gave Aidan O'Brien his sixth Moyglare Stud Stakes success when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Group 1 feature at the Curragh yesterday.

THE Stars Go Racing episode in which my apprentice Alan Quinlan and I were involved in a battle with Mick Halford and Ella McSweeney, was aired this week and we all got a little over-excited when Dundrum, ridden by Kate, won. I have to say I’m delighted with how it all went. It was a great experience and Alan has been a great sport.

THE ‘Stars Go Racing’ programme on RTÉ 1 has been getting a good reaction and I’m glad to see that because anything that helps the profile of racing and offers an insight into the sport has to be welcomed.

Casamento was significantly cut in price for next year’s 2000 Guineas after winning the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

MICHAEL Halford described Casamento as by far the best horse he has trained after the colt gave him his biggest ever success in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh yesterfday.

ALTHOUGH off the track since June, the Jessica Harrington-trained Bobskier looks good in the two-year-old claimer at Down Royal this evening.

I was thrilled with Laughing Lashes’s run when she finished second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last week. It was a step up to Group 1 class and that was always going to be difficult but she ran her heart out.

Who can grudge anyone the desire to find some apparently secure port when life gets stormy? At moments of crisis, however, such certainties can be, quite literally, lethal. If I have no doubts at all about my own position, and you express doubts about it, you become a living offence to everything I stand for

FOR a brief moment last year it seemed Ian Paisley would defy Enoch Powell’s dictum that all political careers end in failure. At the grand old age of 81, he was at the height of his powers with prime ministers and presidents flattering him at every turn.

IF, as Shakespeare once almost remarked, you have any SSIAs to shed, prepare to spend them now.

IF, as Shakespeare once almost remarked, you have any SSIAs to shed, prepare to spend them now.

WE didn’t realise it, but there are two comedians in the White House. The other is Laura Bush.

Director Oliver Stone has slammed American audiences as homophobic, and blames this prejudice for the flop of his latest movie Alexander in the US.