Racing: Irish on the ball

EVERYTHING, including racing, stops in Ireland when the national team play in the World Cup. The meeting scheduled for next Monday at Roscommon has been postponed until Friday in order to avoid trying to compete with the nation's second-round tie with the Netherlands in Orlando.

Michael O'Rourke, of the Irish Turf Club, explained: 'The first race at Roscommon was at 5.30, the exact time of the kick-off in the match. The clash between the two would have been no contest, such is the level of interest in the football. People are all interested in the World Cup and we have not had a single complaint about the decision.

'If, not when, we get through the second round, the next match would be on the same day as the Irish Oaks. But that game is an evening kick-off so there will be no clash with the afternoon's racing,' O'Rourke said.

No meeting is scheduled for the day of the final, Sunday, 17 July.