IT’S another big weekend, ahead of a very busy week but when you’re a dual-purpose yard, it’s always busy. You’ve got to love it, or you wouldn’t do it otherwise.

ON his first visit to Sligo since the eighties, John Oxx saddled both winner and runner-up, Cape Of Good Grace and Sceal Nua, in the feautured Irish Stallion Farms Connacht Oaks last night.

DEVIL’S Elbow looks the banker bet on this evening’s mixed card in Roscommon.

PATHFORK has been withdrawn from the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh today as he suffered a bit of a setback.

KEN CONDON moved his total for the week at the track to three when Peaks Of Fire took the Dawn Omega Milk Maiden at the final stage of Killarney yesterday.

DAVID MARNANE continued his excellent run when Syannn popped up at 14-1 in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Handicap at Killarney last night.

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD mare End Of The Affair outstayed her rivals to register the six win of her career in the featured boylesports.com Handicap over two miles at Dundalk yesterday.

When the Lusitania first went into service in September 1907 it was the biggest ocean liner ever built. It sailed from Liverpool to New York and back with a stop at Queenstown (now Cobh) on each voyage.

It was wet and damp as crowds gathered at Pier 54 in the heart of New York City on May Day in 1915.

Our Katie, trained by Garry Ahern, followed-up a recent course success when justifying 11/10 favourite in the opening Irish Stallion Farms Mares Novice Chase in Thurles yesterday, sparking a double for jockey Brian Hayes.

On the night of her election as Labour leader on July 4 last year, Joan Burton told party members — bruised as they were by the local election results — that it was time now to govern with the head and the heart.

Convergence captured the listed Patton Stakes for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane in Dundalk last night, denying favourite War Envoy, Ryan Moore’s first ride on the track, by a length.

The season’s leading rider, Mark Walsh, started the New Year in great style when completing a fine treble on Missyspet, Noble Emperor and Sword Fish in Fairyhouse yesterday.

Parents have been told they will be unable to withhold their children’s PPS numbers from a controversial new Department of Education database as the information will be found from the Department of Social Protection instead.

Danny Mullins crowned a hugely successful week by completing a fine double on Gitane Du Berlais and Martello Tower on the final day of Limerick’s Christmas meeting, bringing his tally for the week to five winners

Gordon Elliott famously burst on to the scene by training Grand National winner Silver Birch in 2007. Now he is Willie Mullins’ closest challenger.

We have had an up-and-down week with some good performances although we didn’t manage to add to the winning run of the past three weeks.

And they’re off — the clothes that is.

Former champion Ruby Walsh kept punters happy at a sunny Cork last night when doubling-up on well-backed Roman Flight and odds-on favourite Simenon in the opening two races.

Roger Federer is one win away from matching the record achievement of his hero Pete Sampras after brilliantly ending his wait to reach another Wimbledon final.