BLOODSTOCK breeder and RTÉ dynamo Mary Fanning won the Travel Extra broadcast journalist of the year at an awards ceremony at the Clayton Hotel in Ballsbridge recently.

The winning programme, presented by Mary Kennedy and produced by Mary Fanning, celebrated the city of Derry and its historic walls, now 400 years old.

The Nationwide team will be out and about this racing season with one of the highlights being a special festival programme on Punchestown in April.

Dublin Racing Festival tickets

DEMAND for tickets for this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival must be high, judging by the large number of entries we received for last week’s competition. The correct answer was eight Grade 1 races and the winners of double passes for both days’ racing are John Dunleavy (Turloughmore), Dermot Cox (Roscommon) and Helen O’Connor (Listowel).

Thanks to Leopardstown for the prizes.