Thursday will be the first St Stephen’s Day I have spent riding in this country since 2001.

It really is slim pickings for me this weekend and, with the exception of Un de Sceaux at Thurles tomorrow, I’m certainly going to struggle to get among the winners.

Cheltenham is a fair old way to travel for just one ride, but that’s the plan today.

It’s a busy weekend for Willie Mullins’ stable, with runners at four meetings, including this afternoon at Aintree, but I’m staying at home to ride at Navan, where the exciting Faugheen and Felix Yonger hold very strong claims.

I’m off on my travels again today to ride two horses for Willie Mullins at Newbury, including Prince De Beauchene in the Hennessy Gold Cup.

I think I can head to Naas today with a degree of optimism and it’ll be a surprise, at least to me, should I leave empty-handed.

It was great to get a double from my only two rides last Saturday afternoon and while I’ve got a much busier weekend ahead, again I’m hopeful of getting off the mark early, on Gitane Du Berlais at Down Royal.

I have only two rides this afternoon and I start off on Alonso who will be the first Spanish-bred horse I've ever ridden. If I've ever ridden one before, I certainly don't recall it.

I rode work at Willie Mullins’ on Thursday morning and it certainly brought home to me what a wealth of talent he will unleash in the coming weeks and months.

This is my first column of the winter campaign and I have to start by talking about Limerick on Monday and an afternoon that is going to be dedicated to John Thomas McNamara and Jonjo Bright.