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.

Treviso 23 Connacht 3

I’m hoping to win my third Galway Plate this afternoon aboard Terminal for Willie Mullins.

I was particularly disappointed to read that Horse Racing Ireland are in exclusive negotiations with SIS and At The Races regarding the awarding of the Irish racing media rights.

On Saturday I travelled over to see Paul Nicholls at his Ditcheat base to have the final conversation on a subject we’ve been discussing for several weeks.