SPORTS DIGEST: MOTOR SPORT: Robert Barrable mastered the treacherous conditions to score a dominant Leinster Trophy win at Mondello Park yesterday, writes Brian Foley.
Barrable led from pole in the rolling start, and took a quick advantage when the safety car pulled off the track at the end of the parade lap.
Patrick McKenna tried to go around the outside into the tight first corner but the leader held his line and McKenna slid off the track and out of the race.
This was a major disappointment not only for McKenna but also for the spectators who were expecting another close race, like Saturday's Formula Ford championship encounter in which McKenna beat Barrable.
Barrable pulled out a huge lead of the entire start-finish straight as his older brother, Peter, was locked in a dice with Paul Dagg. Eventually Peter pulled away from Dagg to make it a 1-2 for the Barrable Brothers from Swords.
South African brothers in the ascendant in descent
KAYAKING: Greg and Ryan Louw were the fastest crew home at the Liffey Descent in Dublin on Saturday, writes Liam Gorman. The brothers from the Fish River club in South Africa covered the 17.5-mile course in one hour 48 minutes and 59 seconds in a K2 racing kayak.
Eoin Rheinisch, who came close to taking a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in the K1 slalom, teamed up with teenager Barry Watkins in the K2, and the Salmon Leap clubmates finished eighth despite suffering damage to their boat. They were over nine minutes down on the winners.
Gary Mawer, who twice represented Ireland at the Olympics, took the K1 crown. The 38-year-old damaged his rudder at Temple Mills early on but had it mended by a clubmate and ended up with a convincing margin over Owen Peake of Reading Canoe Club.
It was the 11th win in the Liffey Descent for the The Salmon Leap man. Jim Morrissey won the wildwater class.
LIFFEY DESCENT(Straffan, Co Kildare, to Islandbridge, Dublin, Saturday, selected results): Senior Racing Kayak Doubles(K2): 1 G Louw, R Louw (Fish River, SA) 1 hr 48 min 59 secs; 2 D Hudson, M Banks (Salmon Leap CC) 1:50.11; 3 J Callebaut, B Irvine (Richmond) 1:50.12; 4 K Pierce, V Pierce (Wild Water Kayak Club) 1:53.06; 5 C Couve, S Humphrey (Natal CC, University of Kwazulunatal) 1:54.42; 6 C Muller, T Lamble (University of Kwazulunatal) 1:54.43. Other: 8 B Watkins, E Rheinisch (SLCC) 1:58.33.
Russian sweep to Fed Cup victory
TENNIS: Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in the first singles match yesterday to help Russia retain the Fed Cup title.
Ranked seventh in the world, Kuznetsova helped the Russians clinch their fourth title in five years with a hard-fought, 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory.
Kuznetsova and ninth-ranked Vera Zvonareva had posted victories on Saturday to give Russia a commanding, 2-0 lead.
In the doubles, Russia completed the 4-0 sweep behind Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who posted a 6-2 6-1 triumph over Nuria Llagostera and Vives/Carla Suarez Navarro.
Spain, who have lost five of their six meetings against Russia, have not won a Fed Cup title since 1998.
Ulster clubs win sevens in Dublin
GAELIC GAMES: Ulster teams dominated the 35th Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland Sevens played on Saturday in Glenalbyn. O'Donovan Rossa of Antrim, who defeated Wexford side St Ibars in the semi-final, went on to claim the cup at the expense of Waterford side Gaultier, who were competing for the first time, 3-14 to 3-4.
The Shield title went to another Ulster county, Liatroim Fontenoys of Down, who beat near neighbours Loughgiel of Antrim 7-4 to 5-9.
Antrim and O'Donovan Rossa star Jane Adams knocked in 4-16 between the semi-final and final and went home with the Player of the Tournament award.
However, Gaultier put in a spirited performance with Déise star Aine Lyng scoring 2-3 in the final.
But the Antrim side showed their intent from the start and were ahead 2-9 to Gaultier's 1-3 at the break.
FINAL SCORERS: O'Donovan Rossa3-14: J Adams 2-11 (0-3f), M McGourty 1-1, B Orchin, N McGuinness 0-1 each. Gaultier3-4: A Lyng 2-3 (0-2f), P Jackman 1-0, J O'Grady 0-1.
Ireland may yet meet Springboks
RUGBY: World champions South Africa may still play an exhibition Test against Ireland this year, but not in Dubai as originally planned.
The Springboks will complete their season with autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere against Wales, Scotland and England - the latter being a repeat of last year's World Cup final.
But a fourth international, which would have made the trip a Grand Slam tour, is still on the cards.
Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag reported that the management committee of SA Rugby discussed the possibility of the Test going ahead last week, and that alternative venues were put forward, including Spain.
The game would have been seen as an opportunity to play in a non-traditional venue, as New Zealand and Australia will do in their Bledisloe Cup game in Hong Kong in November.
O'Connor wins GP in Chantilly
EQUESTRIAN: Cian O'Connor, leading rider at the four-star show, landed yesterday's Grand Prix at Chantilly with Aileen Bryan's Dutch Warmblood gelding Rancorrado, writes Margie McLoone.
The 10-year-old by Gran Corrado was one of 12 horses through to the jump-off and, in 41.95 seconds, fastest of the quartet to record a double clear.
Second went to the Netherlands' Marc Houtzager on Opium VS in 42.45.
