AMATEUR Brian O’Connell is looking forward to a dream first ride in Britain on Dunguib in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham next week.

In a season dominated by new champions like Katchit, Master Minded and Denman, the final major race of the National Hunt campaign went the way of an old timer.

Monkerhostin sprang a 25-1 surprise for trainer Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

Tommy Carberry’s Penny Hall is the sole Irish raider among an 40-strong entry for the £70,000-added Britannia Building Society English Summer National at Uttoxeter on Sunday.

Hedgehunter is still on target for the John Smith’s Grand National despite taken out of the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the latest forfeit stage.

Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Kauto Star was made to pull out all the stops as L’Ami pushed him right to the line in a dramatic Aon Chase at Newbury.

ENDA BOLGER believes class act Royal Auclair could be the one to foil Spot Thedifference's attempt to win the Sporting Index Chase for the third year running at Cheltenham today.

GRAHAM LEE will team up with You’re Special for the first time on Saturday as trainer Ferdy Murphy chases a £250,000 bonus in the Betfred Gold Cup.

Hedgehunter and Royal Auclair, the first two home in last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, head a maximum field of 40 declared at the final 48-hour stage for tomorrow’s Aintree spectacular.

Hedgehunter and Royal Auclair, the first two home in last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, head a maximum field of 40 declared at the final 48-hour stage for the Aintree spectacular.

CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS sees last year’s winner Hedgehunter as the main threat to his mount Royal Auclair - one of seven Paul Nicholls runners - in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday.

HEDGEHUNTER, last year’s John Smith’s Grand National hero, will share joint top weight of 11st 12lb following the news that 96 horses stand their ground at the second forfeit stage for next month’s renewal of the Aintree marathon.

Cornish Rebel will be tested in blinkers next week as Paul Nicholls considers whether to repeat a tactic that has paid off in the past when the nine-year-old runs in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Ante-post favourite Clan Royal and Racing Post Chase hero Innox are among 122 contenders remaining after the first forfeit stage for the John Smith’s Grand National.

Willie Mullins admits Hedgehunter faces a “big task” to secure back-to-back victories in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April.

SEE YOU SOMETIME posted one of the big-race shocks of the season so far with an 18-1 success in the Grade Two HBLB Cotswold Chase at Wincanton.

LAST YEAR’S winner Hedgehunter heads a healthy entry of 148 for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 8.

Paul Nicholls, who created racing history at the last Wincanton meeting by sending out six winners, continued the good work with a short-priced treble at his local track courtesy of Gungadu, Cerium and Kicks For Free.

See You Sometime posted one of the big-race shocks of the season so far with an 18-1 success in the Grade Two HBLB Cotswold Chase at Wincanton.

Philip Hobbs believes One Knight has a “decent” chance of making a triumphant return to Wincanton, the scene of his debut bumper success in November 2000.

IRISH mare Asian Maze and Howard Johnson’s No Refuge head the 18 entries for the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.

KAUTO STAR, 7-2 favourite with the sponsors for the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham, has been ruled out of the race by trainer Paul Nicholls.

MOSCOW FLYER is on course for the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday after pleasing connections in a gallop.

Conditions at Sandown have dried out ahead of the Stan James King George VI Chase meeting on Boxing Day with the going on the chase course now officially "good".

PAUL CARBERRY could get the leg up on Kingscliff if Robert Walford fails in his race to be fit for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Sandown on Boxing Day.

RUBY WALSH, absent since November 27 with a dislocated shoulder, is likely to return to action on St Stephen's Day.

Ruby Walsh could be in action for Paul Nicholls at Sandown on Boxing Day after being given the all-clear to return to action.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King heads the 11 entries for the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday.

Martin Pipe is going all out to keep the trainers’ title having left eight horses in Saturday’s Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown.

Grey Abbey will miss next Saturday’s Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

Ruby Walsh is set to partner Cornish Rebel at Ayr on Saturday in his bid to land an unprecedented National grand slam.

All the big guns have stood their ground following the final 48-hour declaration stage for Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National.

Howard Johnson has had two Grand National-style fences built as he prepares his big-race possibles for a tilt at Aintree.

The participation of Grey Abbey in the totesport Gold Cup on Friday remains in the balance, despite the front-running grey being one of 16 declared for the blue riband today.

TIMMY MURPHY will have his appeal against a seven-day ban heard at the Jockey Club this morning as he tries to overturn the suspension which would rule him out of a number of a high-profile rides over the Christmas period.

Paul Nicholls believes that Royal Auclair has a good chance of giving him a second success in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup as a trainer to add to the two he won as a jockey.

PUNTERS believe Celestial Gold will give Martin Pipe a third Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

Ante-post favourite Celestial Gold heads a total of 30 horses still in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday week after the latest forfeit stage.

Frankie Dettori outshone the equine celebrities on display at the weekend when he was crowned champion jockey for the third time as the Flat season ended at Doncaster.

Puntal dug deep to prevail in a truly thrilling Betfred Gold Cup, the feature race on the final day of the jumps season at Sandown.

SHARDAM’S position at the head of the market for tomorrow’s Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown strengthened yesterday, with Ladbrokes cutting the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding into 7-2 from 4s for the £150,000 showpiece.

What’s Up Boys heads a 19-runner field for the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday following today’s final declaration stage.

THE Willie Mullins trained Alexander Banquet heads the weights for Saturday’s Betfred Gold Cup after 23 were left in the Sandown showpiece at yesterday’s confirmation stage.

Two years ago Grey Abbey finished a gallant fourth in the Scottish Grand National and another tilt at the Ayr marathon is on the cards after his resounding success in the Tote Scoop6 Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster yesterday.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson declared that “good things come in little parcels” after seeing one of his smallest horses take one of the biggest races of the season so far at Cheltenham.

All the leading fancies for next week’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury have stood their ground at the latest forfeit stage.

CYFOR MALTA is a best-priced 12-1 with the sponsors and Cashmans for the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday in his bid to land the Cheltenham showpiece for a third time.

Dual winner Cyfor Malta heads a team of four left in the Paddy Power Gold Cup by Martin Pipe at today’s confirmation stage as he attempts to land the Cheltenham showpiece for the fourth successive year.

FOXCHAPEL KING heads the 26 entries left in the attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday following yesterday’s confirmation stage.