Over half the required 144 entries for the Ladbrokes Irish Derby have been received with another four days to go before Saturday’s closing stage.

THE card at Youghal Track tonight sees a couple of last Friday’s winners looking to follow up and the nap selection goes to one such greyhound, Belindas Lee, who avoids a rise in grade for his all-the-way victory.

HOPEFULLY we can cease writing about the weather and concentrate on the racing side of things and this week sees the commencement of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne and the Vetsearch Kennedy Cup at Limerick.

GREYHOUND RACING: The cost of the January and December snow blizzards to the general greyhound has been enormous and there is no let-up with many tracks losing out this week as the snows returned with a vengeance. Tonight’s meetings at Galway, Mullingar and Drumbo Park have been called off.

Following the dramatic happenings in the Dail on Tuesday evening and the subsequent fall-out, the Government will hardly be looking forward to the vote on the Dog Breeding Establishment Bill next week.