A round-up of today's other sports stories in brief
Equestrian Sport
Trophy to honour Darragh
The late Paul Darragh is to be remembered through the presentation of a new trophy at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show. The Paul Darragh perpetual challenge trophy will be presented to the winner of the Speed Derby at the RDS on Saturday week, reports Grania Willis.
Darragh, who died suddenly in January, 2005, was a member of the Dream Team which won three consecutive Aga Khan Cups at the RDS between 1977 and 1979. A full 20 years after the first of those victories, he was on the team that won the trophy again in 1997, his last major win on an Irish team.
Darragh represented Ireland 54 times in Nations Cup events, and he was one of the biggest winners of speed classes on the international circuit, so it is fitting his memorial trophy should be for one of the speed highlights of Dublin Horse Show week.
Racing
Dundalk to start 2008 flat season
Next year's flat racing season will officially start at the end of February after Horse Racing Ireland confirmed the 2008 fixture list at Galway yesterday, reports Brian O'Connor.
Among the 25 fixtures confirmed for the new all-weather track at Dundalk next year is a February 29th date that will kick off the 2008 flat season.
The first flat races on turf will be at Cork on Easter Sunday (March 23rd). Fairyhouse's Grand National festival has been extended to four days and will now start on Easter Saturday.
The Curragh will close down for redevelopment work following the St Leger meeting and two of its fixtures have been transferred. Naas has received the Group Two Beresford Stakes card. Overall there will be 18 more race meetings than this year, bringing the total to 350.
Sailing
Mixed results for Patches
Light winds initially followed by an unruly fleet that almost received a black flag marked the opening day of racing in the Breitling MedCup's Cope del Rey regatta at Palma yesterday.
The defending champions on Ireland's Patches had a mixed start to the series.
After a respectable fourth place in yesterday's opening race, a scuffle for position at the first weather mark of race two saw the Galway boat infringe the king of Spain's Bribon and they had to take a penalty turn.
That resulted in a 12th place finish and seventh place overall with four days remaining.
Meanwhile, Ireland's Paul O'Rian is one of 14 newcomers in La Solitaire du Figaro that started in Caen yesterday. The fleet of 50 single-handed boats are racing to Crosshaven this week and are expected to arrive on Friday.
Boxing
Duddy has Sylvester in his sights
John Duddy hopes to fight the European middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester in Belfast next December, reports Carl O'Malley.
The 28-year-old was to fight for the second time in Ireland on August 25th in Belfast's King's Hall. However, difficulties securing an opponent and a cut above Duddy's eye sustained in his 10-round stoppage of the Italian Alessio Furlan last month hampered those efforts.
Duddy is required to fight at least twice in Europe before challenging Sylvester, so the Derryman is still expected to
face an opponent on either October 6th or 13th , possibly in the Waterfront Hall Auditorium in Belfast.
Germany's Mahir Oral was the likely candidate to face Duddy but is now doubtful after being hurt while sparring.
