David Casey retired from a long and successful riding career in great style at Listowel last week with a winning farewell. In fairness, getting the leg up on the 1/6 hot favourite was hardly the most challenging moment of the Waterford jockey’s career and the Susannah Ricci owned Long Dog romped to an easy nine and a...
Author: Catherine Power
A five star Walker Cup effort
A five star Walker Cup effort
If proof be needed that Irish amateur golf is in a very healthy state then look no further than the make-up of the Great Britain and Ireland team to face the United States in the biennial Walker Cup match at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s on the Lancashire coast next weekend. Ireland will have a record five players on...
Long distance gold for Warren Roche
Long distance gold for Warren Roche
He may have only taken up swimming at 17 years of age but earlier this month Warren Roche won the gold medal in the 10k race at the inaugural Waterfest Championships at Cossan Point, Athlone, Co Westmeath. The Championships, organised by Swim Ireland and the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association, included a 5k and...
Dermot Weld wins on points
Dermot Weld wins on points
Dermot Weld took the leading trainer award at last week’s Galway Festival for the 29th in the last 30 years despite finishing with just five winners, one behind Tony Martin and three behind Willie Mullins. Such an anomaly exists because the leading trainer gong at Ballybrit is awarded to the trainer who accumulates...
Waterford Students at World University Games
Waterford Students at World University Games
There’s plenty of Waterford interest on the Irish team for the World University Games which get under way on Friday next July 3rd in Gwangju, South Korea. Ferrybank athlete Thomas Barr leads the Irish challenge in the city known locally as the “City of Hope and Light” and if UL student and Irish 400m hurdles record...
Shay's Tramore Treble
Shay's Tramore Treble
ASK any national hunt trainer and they will tell you they are very happy to leave the race track with one winner on any given day. Doubles are a bonus with trebles a much rarer occurrence. No wonder then that the normally reserved Shay Barry was a picture of delight at Tramore racecourse last Friday evening after a...
Sizing Europe Retires
Sizing Europe Retires
“THE horse of a lifetime.” That’s how Henry de Bromhead described Sizing Europe after he announced the retirement of the brilliant chaser last week. In a dazzling career that spanned nine seasons, Sizing Europe won eight Grade One races including successive triumphs at the Cheltenham Festival in the 2010 Arkle and...
Surprises abound at Champions Weekend
Surprises abound at Champions Weekend
They came and they saw but there was no conquering from an Irish point of view as Ryan Moore and The Grey Gatsby spoiled the party on the first day of a highly anticipated and heavily promoted Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday evening. Following the failure of the then superstar Sea The Stars to attract...
Brilliant Ballybrit!
Brilliant Ballybrit!
The seven-day spectacle that is the Galway Races continued apace at Ballybrit last week with strong betting, attendances up on last year, over-sized fancy hats and high fashion along with copious amounts of partying. Galway is as much a social extravaganza as it is a mere race meeting. Since its inception as a...
The Power Returns
The Power Returns
It would appear that the demise of Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, widely reported following his early World Championship exit last December, has been greatly exaggerated, as his outstanding career now appears to be firmly back on track. It was easy to believe in the aftermath of his capitulation to Michael Smith in the...
Italia '90 Revisited
Italia '90 Revisited
Watching Costa Rica march to the quarter finals of the World evoked happy memories for me, and I suspect for many fans of the glory days of 1990 and Ireland’s progress to the same stage of the tournament. Not that the group stages were similar in any way. Costa Rica were supposed to be the whipping boys of Group D...
Time for Zero Tolerance
Time for Zero Tolerance
Until such time as all sports federations adopt a zero tolerance policy to drugs cheats and implement it fully then the cynical and sceptical view of many fans towards some sporting events will continue. Last Thursday, on a World Cup free evening, I enjoyed coverage of the Diamond League from Lausanne. However there...