What a great day to be on the couch, with the Grand National from Aintree and Heineken Cup rugby on the box! But, you know what, I’d give anything to be at Aintree, in the thick of the action.

Last Tuesday night it was my pleasant duty to be part of a large Irish contingent who were invited to be guests of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

I have had over a week now to come to terms with the injury I suffered on the last day of the Cheltenham festival and am just making the best of things at the moment.

A Festival that began so well ended on a bad note yesterday when Abbyssial sent me spinning to the turf in the Triumph Hurdle.

I was absolutely kicking myself after Annie Power had got beaten by More Of That in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday.

Any day you have a winner at Cheltenham is a good day and I was more than happy with Faugheen’s victory in the first.

The talking is about to end and the meeting we have been waiting for since the start of the season,

I’m a virtual certainty to make it to Cheltenham now, after Willie Mullins decided yesterday I was to take the weekend off.

I spent Thursday night in London, at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, attending a testimonial dinner for Ronan O’Gara.

I hope Gowran Park today survives an inspection, because the exciting Un de Sceaux looks a penalty kick in a Grade 2 hurdle.