Australia sweltered through its hottest month on record in January and the summer of extremes continued with wildfires razing the drought-parched south and flooding in expanses of the tropical north.

ROSS RIVER, a faller when sent off the well-backed 5-1 favourite for the Racing Post Plate last season, is unlikely to bid for redemption this time around.

THERE was a major upset in the final of the all-aged Ballyarthur Stakes at Fermoy and Grange yesterday when the Bill Toomey trained Carraignagour took the prize.

THE OLD dog for the hard road. Yours truly was magnanimous early yesterday in victory, at least if magnanimous is an acceptable variant of completely insufferable.