GER Lyons can continue his terrific record at Dundalk by saddling once-raced Shirley Blake to land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at the track tonight.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE believes Tiger Woods’ presence would make it “a better win” for Europe if his team regain the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor next year.

AMID the small flurry of new signings that descended on Aston Villa in the summer, the costliest of all has gone almost unnoticed this season.

ON a night when Johnny Murtagh took another giant step towards regaining the Jockeys Championship, Joanna Morgan saddled Fourpenny Lane and San Sicharia to dominate the listed Cooley Fillies Stakes at Dundalk.

JOHNNY Murtagh and Pat Smullen got together before racing at Leopardstown yesterday to promote the finale of the 2009 Flat Championship.

A Swedish music festival that saw performances by Kanye West, Robbie Williams and Iron Maiden has cancelled 2018's event after a rape was reported.

Donald Trump is dogged by insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the US election and a persistent frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and associates say.

Back In Focus, formerly in the care of Howard Johnson and having a second outing for Willie Mullins, made an excellent debut over fences in the Kevin McManus Beginners Chase at Listowel yesterday.

Offaly’s Shane Lowry yesterday became only the second player to win on the European Tour as both an amateur and a professional.

Muck ‘N’ Brass completed doubles for Eddie Lynam and Wayne Lordan when landing yesterday’s finale at Dundalk, the featured Irish Stallion Farms August Handicap, in dramatic style.

There may be no less than 18 runners in the Giantsgrave Handicap Hurdle at Clomel this evening, but Arthur Moore’s Drumlister has to be a reasonably confident nap choice.

The humour improved this week after I managed to finally get a winner with Parramatta at Laytown on Thursday.

SATURDAY

REIGNING champion Johnny Murtagh kept his slim chance of retaining the jockeys’ title alive with a double on Imperial Rome and Herostatus at Dundalk last night, but still trails Pat Smullen by six, 86-92, following the former champion’s win on Hawa Bali in the finale.

IRON CONDOR seems to relish the all-weather surfaces and after running a cracker in defeat at Kempton last time, he can regain the winning thread back at the Sunbury venue today.

I have said it more than once here that you just have to take what racing throws at you. It’s a great leveller and some days you get a kick in the teeth but on others things work out well.

RACING at the Curragh yesterday began with a dramatic incident in the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises EBF Maiden, when Johnny Murtagh took a crashing fall from the favourite, Petronius Maximus.

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

RORY MCILROY answered his critics in emphatic fashion by winning the Quail Hollow Championship by four shots from Phil Mickelson last night.

THE Thomas O’Leary-trained Tawnies dug deep to land the Dromahane Chase at Cork last night.