Short putts

Carrick

Congratulations to Anne McGourty (23 points) and Leo Noone (26 points) who were the standout players in the Ladies’ and Gents’ sections resepctively following the fourth round of the Flynn’s Bar Spring League last weekend.

The team results saw Team 13 (Patricia O’Hara) top the leaderboard with 375 points. Team 3 (Deirdre McGettrick) had 365 points while Team 1 (Albert Hogg) and Team 12 (Mary Molloy) both scored 352.

The results of the Seniors’ competition on Thursday last were as follows: 1st: Sean McMonagle (44 points); 2nd: John O’Mahoney (39, back nine); 3rd: Robbie Donaldson (38); Front nine: Dermot Monaghan (21); Back nine: PJ Sharkey (20).

Today (Thursday), there will be a nine-hole competition starting at 11 am and this will be followed at 1 pm by the Club’s AGM.

Well done to the Seniors’ team who recorded a 3-1 win over Dunmore at Dunmore Golf Club on Tuesday last.

Finally, the Ladies’ and Gents’ fixture list for 2023 is available on the club website www.carrickgolf.ie.

Roscommon

There was a great turnout for the club’s 2023 Drive-In last Sunday and our members wish President Mary Cunningham, Lady Captain Paula Miley and Captain PJ Moran good wishes for their year.

The three-person nine-hole scramble took place directly afterwards and the winners of the front nine were Ross Shannon, Tom Grealy Jnr and Liam McNeill. Back nine winners were David Kearney, Enda Daly and Aengus Oates.

The results of the Senior Men’s competition on Thursday last were as follows: Winner: N Sharkey (32 points); Cat 1: S Byrne (32); Cat 2: J Kilroy (30); Cat 3: C Doherty (30); Cat 4: J Earley (31).

Senior Ladies’ results: 1st: Mary Lalor, 2nd: Kay Ruane, 3rd: Jane Hunt, 4th: Mary O’Keeffe.

The Foursomes matches are now complete in the Ladies’ Spring Matchplay with Team C in the lead with three points. Fourball matches will be played this month.

There will be a CPR course running in the golf club on Wednesday, March 15th from 7 pm to 10 pm. Cost of course is €15. If you are interested in attending please put your name on the list in locker rooms.

by Tom Red

This weekend’s action

Horseracing this weekend starts today (Thursday) at Clonmel with the first race at 2.05 pm. Tomorrow evening, racing is under lights on the all-weather at Dundalk, first race at 4.55 pm.

On Saturday, the action at Navan features the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Novice Chase away at 2 pm. Sunday sees two meetings at Leopardstown with the Grade B Carrickmines Handicap Chase away at 2 pm and at Wexford at 1.40 pm. Leopardstown race again on Monday starting at 1.40 pm.

On Saturday, ITV Racing is covering nine races all over the jumps, five from Kelso, including the Grade A Morebattle Handicap Hurdle, a Cheltenham Bonus race, and the Grade 2 Premier Novice Hurdle, with two each from Doncaster and Newbury.

Cheltenham Corner

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Nusret won the Coral

Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton and will take his place in the Triumph Hurdle where he will probably meet the Willie Mullins’ trained pair Lossiemouth and Blood Destiny who have both beaten him this season. Ireland looks to have a very strong hand in the race again this year.

£100,000 Cheltenham Bonus

McTigue is one of 26 runners in contention for the Bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday as trainer Emmet Mullins tries to replicate the success he had with The Shunter in 2021.

The Shunter collected the £100,000 bonus by winning the 2m handicap and following that up with success at the Cheltenham Festival. Mullins will be looking for more of the same from McTigue, who holds four entries for the festival in March.

He is joined by top weight Lorna Fowler’s Colonel Mustard and Stuart Crawford’s Hommes St George, who at No 23 needs a lot of non-runners.

Mullins’ Noble Yeats will probably tackle the Gold Cup before making a bid to retain his Grand National crown. The 8-Y-O has won at Wexford and a Grade 2 at Aintree before finishing third in a Grade 2 recently at Cheltenham this season and is ante post favourite for the National at 8/1.

Linda Russell’s Corah Rambler is a well backed second favourite at 12/1 alongside Willie Mullins’ Gaillard Du Mensil. Elliott’s main hope is probably last year’s third-placed Delta Work who will also run in Cheltenham’s Cross Country Race where he heads the 20 runners.