Racing driver Jake Byrne has abandoned his Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year programme with immediate effect after it appears he is unhappy with his UK Formula Ford campaign - the prize for winning the prestigious award.

SWITZERLAND: Swiss army helicopters have crossed the Franco-Swiss border in an unexpected incursion — to help thirsty Swiss cows.

Gordon Elliott enjoyed the most successful day of his training career when he saddled a short-priced treble in Bellewstown last night to add to his spectacular four-timer in Perth in the afternoon.

Off the track for almost a year, since making an impressive debut at the Curragh, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Words captured the Group 3 Munster Oaks, feature of yesterday’s action in Cork.

Seven-times champion Pat Smullen celebrated his 38th birthday with a first and last race double in Cork last night, highlighted by the impressive victory of Variable in the concluding fillies maiden.

On his first forest rally in some three years Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, driving the McGeehan Motorsport Mini WRC, won the Samdec Security Lakeland Forest Rally in Enniskillen.

Even though Donegal’s Declan Boyle secured enough points to land the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Championship, he will contest the Acesigns Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the series.

Sir Maximilian ran out a most impressive winner of the Listed Kilfrush Stud Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary last night.

The High Court has ordered the arrest of a local election candidate over her failure to remove allegedly defamatory material about Bundoran Town Council posted on YouTube.

Aidan O’Brien expects Most Improved to live up to his name after last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes winner finished third behind stablemate Flying The Flag on his comeback run in the eFlow ’You First’ International Stakes at the Curragh.

The clock put a stop to show jumper Denis Lynch’s challenge in the €285,000 Longines Global Champions Tour class in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Saturday, a single time fault in the second round with the stallion All Star 5 denying him a place in the third-round decider.

Few, if any, drivers have more experience of the terrain within the Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes than Denis Cronin, himself a winner of the Killarney spectacular in 2010.

An Australian has earned a bravery award for grabbing a 12ft (3.7m) great white shark by the tail as it mauled a snorkeller.

In a close finish to the Modern Tyres Mourne Rally, round five of the Carryduff Forklifts Northern Ireland Rally Championship, Drew Stewart (Ford Escort) took a 12-second victory over the Mitsubishi of Andrew Stewart.

Katla gained another deserved big-race success as she prevailed in a tight finish to the Listed Dark Angel EBF Sweet Mimosa Stakes at Naas this afternoon.

CELERINA, narrowly denied by Margot Did at Ayr on Saturday, is likely to have her next race in the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh next month.

REIGNING Intercontinental Rally champions, Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in their Peugeot 207 S2000 are sixth overall after the opening leg of three stages of the Sata Rallye Acores, the seventh round of the series.

SEEHARN staked her claim as a realistic Moyglare Stud Stakes contender when landing the listed Ballygallon Stud Balanchine Stakes at the Curragh last night.

AS EXPECTED, Niall Maguire, driving his S10 Subaru WRC coasted to victory in the Ennis-based Auburn Lodge Clare Rally. Leading from the start and co-driven by Enda Sherry, he finished two minutes and 14 seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery with Ed O’Callaghan/Ger Clancy, also in a Ford Escort, a further 10 seconds behind in third.

REGIONAL Championships are important to former triple national champion, Niall Maguire, who is the top seed for Sunday’s Ennis-based Auburn Lodge Clare Rally, the fifth round of the Top Part West Coast Championship.

AIDAN O’Brien will fire at least four arrows at the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday.

British Touring Car Championship organisers and Silverstone officials are at loggerheads following the circuit’s surprise omission from next year’s calendar.

Pat Keane

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan has officially opened two new roadways in the west of Ireland.

MICHAEL KINANE, who has been booked by Godolphin to partner Grandera in tomorrow’s King George at Ascot and intends returning to ride at Leopardstown in the evening, can enjoy the ideal warm-up by landing a double at Cork tonight.

Former Formula One driver Max Papis has been signed to compete in the mainly British-based ASCAR series.

KENNY McKINSTRY starts this weekend’s Clonakilty based Quality Hotels West Cork Rally as favourite with the Banbridge car preparation expert bidding to complete an unique hat-trick.

AS the Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Championship enters the final third of the season at Oulton Park this weekend, results are becoming more crucial.

Derek Hayes, heads the Irish challenge in the British Formula 3 double header at the Rockingham Speedway Circuit today.

Colin McRae, the most successful driver in the history of the World Rally Championship, headlines the Punchestown Rally Masters on Sunday along with the cream of Irish rallying.

From his debut season in the Formula 3 Scholarship Class and following a very successful test with Carlin Motorsport, Michael Keohane has signed for the top British Formula 3 Championship team.

From his debut season in the Formula 3 Scholarship Class and following a very successful test with Carlin Motorsport, Michael Keohane has signed for the top British Formula 3 Championship team.

Alex Zanardi has finally been told that he has had both legs amputated following his smash in a CART race in Germany last weekend.

The combination of results from the sixth round doubleheader in the British Green Flag British Formula 3 Scholarship Class at Rockingham has resulted in a

The PowerTour series arrived at the Rockingham Circuit today - the newest venue in British motor racing.

Rockingham is the venue for the PowerTour series that includes the British F3 Championship and Formula Ford Zetec Championship.