Laytown turns tide

The future of racing on the beach at Laytown, Co Meath, looks secure after new safety measures worked effectively at Monday's meeting.

The historic fixture, dating back to 1876, came under scrutiny after the deaths of three horses last year, but strict restrictions, including maximum fields of 10 runners, a ban on inexperienced riders and better crowd control, have been imposed.

The track's manager, Joe Collins, said: "There were no fallers and no hitches of any consequence. I think we've proved a point."