Venture Capital, which created a big impression on his debut Fairyhouse a year ago before flopping in the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown Festival, made a winning start to his hurdling career in the opening Mount Leinster Maiden Hurdle at Wexford yesterday.

PANDORAMA has been ruled out for the entire season after failing to fully recover from an injury sustained in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

IT is a measure of the respect and affection with which show jumper Marie Burke is held that, following her surprise axing by manager Robert Splaine from the European Championships team in Mannheim last month, she was the subject of much condolence.