There will be an extra nine meetings run on Sundays in 1998 bringing the total of Sunday fixtures to 57. The Irish Horseracing Authority Fixture Committee, who announced the move yesterday, have also decided to give Cork racecourse 14 race days next year, an increase of five on 1997. Cork will also have an extra two Sunday fixtures and there will be a total of 10 double fixtures on Sundays next year.

There will be 268 race meetings in all in 1998, an increase of seven. There are 62 Saturday fixtures scheduled which include 65 evening meetings. There will be a drop in the number of fixtures run from Monday to Friday with 67 scheduled as compared to 75 this year. There will also be one less bank holiday meeting in 1998.

Next year's flat season will commence at the Curragh on March 29th with the Irish Derby on June 28th. The other Classic dates are the 1,000 Guineas on March 23rd followed by the 2,000 Guineas the following day, the Oaks on July 12th and the St Leger on September 19th. On the jumping front, the Irish Grand National will take place at Fairyhouse on April 13th and the Hennessy Gold Cup will be run at Leopardstown on February 8th.

The Sunday fixture changes for 1998 are: Clonmel + 2, Curragh + 1, Cork + 2, Fairyhouse + 1, Leopardstown + 2, Naas + 1, Navan + 1, Tipperary 1, Tralee 1, Wexford + 1.

Freddie Head, one of Europe's best known jockeys over the past 30 years, announced his retirement at Deauville yesterday.