RACING
Oisin Murphy insists he will fight to clear his name. He’s denied ever taking cocaine, despite testing positive in France on July 19th. The UK flat racing champion jockey says he underwent hair sampling upon learning of his result, with those samples returning negative. Murphy is awaiting the results from his B-sample, and is facing a six-month ban.
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The potential for soft ground in Paris has seen Love withdrawn from this weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The Aidan O’Brien trained filly was set to be one of Enable’s main rivals at Longchamps on Sunday.
SOCCER
Dundalk could end tonight nearly 3-million euro richer.
They face K-I of the Faroe Islands in the playoff round of the Europa League.
Interim head coach Filippo Giovagnoli says qualifying for the group phase was the club’s main priority when he was appointed.
Kick-off at the Aviva is at 7.30.
Elsewhere tonight, Tottenham play host to Maccabi Haifa
Celtic are away to F-K Sarajevo.
And Rangers welcome Galatasaray to Ibrox.
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The draw for the Champions League group stage is underway.
Liverpool have been drawn in Group D along with Ajax.
Manchester United are in Group H with Paris Saint-Germain.
And Manchester City have been drawn in Group C with Porto.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will meet in Group G with Juventus drawn with Barcelona.
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Liverpool are in Carabao Cup 4th round action tonight, taking on Arsenal at Anfield.
At 5.30, Brentford play host to Fulham
And at 7 Aston Villa play Stoke.
RUGBY
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has allayed fears that Tadhg Furlong could miss the resumption of the Six Nations.
The prop is out with a calf injury, but Cullen has put a mid-October date for his potential return.
Ireland resume at home to Italy on October 24th.
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Johnny Sexton will captain Leinster for their opening Guinness PRO14 game of the season against the Dragons at the RDS tomorrow night.
Jordan Larmour and James Lowe are also included in the backline with Ed Byrne, Ronan Kelleher, Scott Fardy, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier among those selected in the pack.
Jacob Stockdale has been named at full-back for Ulster's opener against Benetton in Belfast tomorrow.
Centre Stewart Moore will make his first senior start for the Province, Iain Henderson captains the side and Marcell Coetzee is in the back row.
TENNIS
Novak Djokovic has cruised into round 3 at the French Open.
The top seed beat world number 66, Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Men’s ninth seed Denis Shapovalov lost a five-set marathon to Roberto Carballes Baena
Another seed has fallen in the women’s draw, with second seed Karolina Pliskova beaten by the 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin needed three sets to beat Ana Bogdan.
