NICKY HENDERSON must wake up most mornings and thank his lucky stars he had the foresight to appoint Barry Geraghty as his number one rider.

IF there was one horse to take out of Leopardstown last Saturday, with the future very much in mind, it was surely the Jessica Harrington-trained Oscars Well.

IT’S been a dreadful National Hunt season and, quite frankly, we will lose little sleep when it finally finishes.

WILLIE MULLINS is a phenomenon. That five-timer at Punchestown last Sunday, from just six races, was a remarkable feat and emphasised that, at least in this country, he operates on a different level to all other trainers.

IRISH racing may have its share of problems at the moment, but one of the more positive stories has to be the growing success of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud.

LESS than a year ago, prior to Cheltenham, Paul Nicholls was in Cork for a Festival preview night at Fermoy.

THE three days at Leopardstown this week almost renewed one’s faith in this great game of ours.

THE conclusion to be drawn - following yesterday’s paddypower.com IPhone December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown - is that whatever beats Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham will win the Champion Hurdle.