Five rides, and probably not the strongest-looking book I’ve had, but that’s the nature of racing in the countdown to the Cheltenham.

There are just three and a half weeks to go to the Cheltenham Festival and all the horses are in full work, writes Ruby Walsh. 

It’s the weekend between the Irish Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup, but it’s another busy and important one. I have three rides this afternoon at Fairyhouse, but it’s Douvan, in the Tied Cottage Chase tomorrow at Punchestown, who will be focus of most attention.

A week later than intended and in Cheltenham, rather than Ascot, Un De Sceaux gets his chance in the Clarence House Chase. The change of venue doesn’t really make any difference to him, the biggest difference to the race is that it’s a £70,000 race, and it would have been a £150,000 race had it been run last week.

It’s a complicated situation, with many permutations, but the long and the short of it is I don’t know for certain where I’ll be riding today.

After a quiet week, it’s a quiet return for me, with just one ride at this afternoon’s meeting in Cork. Chateau Conti is the one, and I’m hopeful he can make the trip south worthwhile.