Today's other stories in brief
America's Cup abandoned again
SAILING: ROUGH SEAS forced the opening race of the 33rd America's Cup to be abandoned yesterday for the second time, prolonging a frustrating wait for the start of the regatta.
The best-of-three duel between Swiss holders Alinghi and US challengers BMW Oracle had been due to begin on Monday.
While Mondays race was called off because of inconsistent winds, yesterdays conditions, with waves of more than a metre high, were too much for the fast but fragile hi-tech boats.
The Alinghi team, backed by Swiss biotechnology and banking billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, did not leave the dock in Valencia on Wednesday.
Software mogul Larry Ellisons BMW Oracle boat USA also stayed in the shelter of the port rather than risk the journey to the race area about 20km (12 miles) offshore.
The regatta has now been pushed into the first reserve day on Sunday.
War of words escalates in Turf Club dispute
HORSE RACING: A war of words between the Turf Club and the union representing staff at racing's regulatory body appears to be intensifying after Mandate were accused yesterday of "unacceptable behaviour", writes Brian O'Connor.
The Turf Club’s chief executive Denis Egan is angry that a press release was issued to the media on Tuesday about industrial action being proposed on February 28th and yet official notice was not given to the Turf Club until yesterday.
“We finally received a registered letter today but the way Mandate has acted over this is deplorable and we are furious over the way we have been treated,” said Egan.
Egan also denied claims by Michael O’Donoghue, chairman of the 32-member Turf Club Officials Association, about the impact of budget cuts on integrity services.
O’Donoghue said: “The failure to replace two full-time officials has resulted in the amount of microchip identifications of all racehorses on a raceday being reduced from 313 days to 63 days. What this means is that the Turf Club cannot guarantee that the correct horse is running in a race 80 per cent of the time.
“Other areas where cutbacks may effect standards is the routine sample analysis.”
However Egan stressed there has been no impact on sample analysis and rejected fears about “ringers” slipping through the system.
The Turf Club is looking for staff-related cuts after having had its funding slashed by Horse Racing Ireland.
Rosberg tops Jerez timesheets
MOTOR SPORT: Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets on the first official day of testing at a rainy Jerez circuit in Spain yesterday.
The Mercedes Grand Prix driver set a best time of one minute 20.927 seconds during a window of dry running early in the day.
Rosberg’s time never looked like coming under threat after the rain arrived an hour into the session and the German ended the day 0.104 seconds up on Sebastien Buemi’s Toro Rosso.
The 24-year-old struggled to get to grips with the car in the first pre-season test of 2010 in Valencia last week, and was much more satisfied with his efforts on what was the first of eight days of testing at the Spanish circuit.
Nico Hulkenberg claimed third place after completing 118 laps on his way to a best time of 1:22.243.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was fourth.
