Winston latest jockey to be held in race-fixing inquiry

Sports Digest/Horse Racing: Leading jockey Robert Winston yesterday became the fifth rider to be arrested as part of the ongoing…

Sports Digest/Horse Racing: Leading jockey Robert Winston yesterday became the fifth rider to be arrested as part of the ongoing investigation by City Of London Police into alleged race-fixing. It takes the number of people questioned in connection with the inquiry to 26, including former champion jockey Kieren Fallon.

The 25-year-old rode over 100 winners for the first time last year and enjoyed his biggest success to date in September when he partnered Magical Romance to win the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Sixteen people, including Fallon, fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams and trainer Karl Burke, were arrested and later bailed last September as part of the police probe.

ATHLETICS: Fresh from his weekend's defeat of Olympic champion and world-record holder Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, Alistair Cragg (Clonliffe Harriers) has confirmed his availability for the forthcoming European Indoor Championships in Madrid on the first weekend of March.

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Meanwhile, on the domestic scene, the National Indoor Championships at Nenagh promise to be one of the most exciting in recent times, particularly in the men's 400 metres. Three Irish men are under the European qualifying standard - David Gillick, David McCarthy and Rob Daly - and with a limit of two per country for Madrid, the competition is sure to be the race of the weekend.

CYCLING: Irish rider David McCann said yesterday his continued participation in the Tour de Langkawi is uncertain, reports Shane Stokes. He was coughing after the 152km stage to Cukai yesterday, won by Guillermo Bongiorno (Ceramica Panaria), and stated he would consider withdrawing if his chest infection does not ease by today's stage.

Ireland's Paul Griffin and Roger Aiken fell inside the final 30kms and a mechanical problem meant Griffin was delayed in getting back up to speed.

Yellow jersey Koji Fukushima finished 75th, three seconds down on Bongiorno, but the Japanese rider held on to his race lead. He's one minute 20 seconds ahead of Australian Nathan O'Neill, with McCann in 26th place.

MOTOR SPORT: Minardi have appointed Israeli Chanoch Nissany as their test driver for the season. Nissany is the first Israeli driver to participate in Formula One but has little chance of racing as he is not slated to take part in the Friday practice sessions before Grand Prix weekends.

ROWING: Irish rowers Diarmaid MacColgáin and Danny O'Dowd yesterday finally received their bronze medals from the World University Games in France last summer. The pair were elevated to third place because the Polish lightweight double were stripped of the bronze after Tomas Mrozowicz's B blood sample tested positive for steroids.

GAELIC GAMES: St Brendan's College, Killarney, were pushed all the way by Killorglin, 2-13 to 0-9, in this all-Kerry Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final at Kilcummin yesterday but superior fire power proved decisive in the end.

Ater 40 minutes the sides were deadlocked on 0-7. St Brendan's then hit an answered 1-5 with Jamie Doolin netting the goal. Doolin added the second goal in injury time to clinch a flattering win.

ST BRENDAN'S, KILLARNEY: G O'Sullivan; D Courtney, M Moloney, J Payne; K McSweeney, K Foley, S Lynch; M O'Donoghue (0-5, four frees), D Murphy (0-1, free); J Falvey, K O'Leary (0-2), P O'Leary; A Moynihan (0-1), B Looney (0-1), J Doolin (2-2). Subs: A Looney (0-1) for P O'Leary, J Russell for A Moynihan, G Carroll for K McSweeney.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL KILLORGLIN: J Buckley; J O'Sullivan, P O'Reilly, S Caulfield; J O'Keeffe, J O'Reilly (0-1), L O'Sullivan; J O'Leary, F Coffey; G Sayers (0-2), E Kelliher, C Griffin; R Healy, M Hallissey (0-1, free), P Doyle (0-4, two frees). Subs: S O'Riordan (0-1) for R Healy, T O'Sullivan for F Coffey ( inj).

Referee: M Collins (Cork).