WAR OF ATTRITION, even if his trainer Mouse Morris refuses to commit him to the race, remained firmly on the Gold Cup trail with a solid half a length defeat of Rathgar Beau in the Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel yesterday.

JAMIE ELSON joined the ever increasing number of English golfing talent to capture his maiden professional title at the Volvo Finnish Open on the European Challenge Tour.

Paul O'Hare

SERGIO GARCIA and Annika Sorenstam came up with a European double in America last night.

GOWRAN PARK, which has been hugely re-developed, threw open its gates to the press yesterday and three handlers, Michael Bowe, Willie Mullins and Frances Crowley availed of the opportunity to gallop some of their stars.

ACCORDING to 87% of people surveyed in a British newspaper poll, the butler definitely did not do it.

JOHN THOMAS McNAMARA, who received widespread acclaim for his Cheltenham success on Spot Thedifference, was again seen at his strongest when winning the Garryrichard Stud Tertratema Cup yesterday on 8/1 shot Good Step.

TOOLS of torture that Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday, used to punish underperforming Iraqi athletes were displayed yesterday at a Baghdad sports stadium in advance of the Olympic Games next month.

CORK tomorrow houses a smashing programme and the welcome presence of Tony McCoy will certainly boost what should be a healthy attendance in any case.

DENIS O’SULLIVAN didn’t win, but a brilliant eight iron across water at the final hole, then a holed putt from five feet gave him the much-needed birdie for a tied second place yesterday in the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship.

THE last bastion of domestic drudgery is about to fall thanks to the development of the world’s first automatic ironing machine.

AFTER 19 top 10 finishes and not a win or second place amongst them, English golfer Greg Owen is a man on a mission this weekend.

ITALY’S Emanuele Canonica has been the European Tour’s biggest hitter four times but yesterday finally achieved what he wanted above all - a tournament victory.

ALAN SHEARER headed into one of the biggest weeks of his Newcastle career confident that he can emerge with his trophy dreams still intact.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON had to settle for a share of 13th place yesterday in his final warm-up for the United States Open starting on Thursday.

BRILLIANT novice Be My Belle, carrying the colours of Midleton, Co Cork lady Mary Aherne and racing from 9lbs out of the handicap, spreadeagled the field to turn in a spectacular performance in the Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park yesterday.