It’s frightening to think the illegal presence of some animal in a market in the province of Hubei, in a city most of us had never previously heard of and few will ever visit could have such a profound and deadly impact on the world.

Nicky Henderson will do all he can to get Altior to the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase after revealing the brilliant two-miler was found to be lame on Sunday morning.

What did we really expect leaving Cheltenham last year? When we looked at all the results, how did we think, 12 months down the line, those winners would fair back at the Festival?

Nicky Henderson is relieved to have finally got Altior’s season up and running – and “all is going well” for his bid to emulate Badsworth Boy in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

NOTHING for it this week then, with Storm Ciara messing us about big-time, but to look ahead to the Cheltenham Festival in an effort to pinpoint some value.

Reigning champion Al Boum Photo is one of 20 horses still in contention for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup following the latest scratchings deadline for the six non-novice Grade Ones at next month’s Festival.

Had events unfolded the way Nicky Henderson hoped at the start of the season Altior would not be running in the Grade Two Win Bigger On The Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury this afternoon.

Last week was the start of the new race times – there were a good few of them in the UK - and I think, for people who were viewing racing on the whole, it was a better experience.

Darren Norris selects eight takeaways from the Dublin Racing Festival with a view towards Cheltenham.

Talking horses with Darren Norris.

When it came, the explanation made perfect sense. “Altior doesn’t look like Altior,” Nicky Henderson said as he explained his decision to rule his stablestar out of the Grade Two Unibet Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton on Saturday, a race which was set to be his first start since surrendering his 19-race unbeaten record over obstacles when beaten by Cyrname in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot in November.

With the Christmas festival blitz in the rearview mirror, the focus now turns to a new decade and 2020 promises plenty. Here Darren Norris highlights 10 dates not to be missed

A Plus Tard inflicted a surprise defeat on Chacun Pour Soi in the Paddy’s Rewards Club “Loyalty’s Dead, Live For Rewards” Chase at Leopardstown.

Whatever about horses going from one stable to another, for jockeys racing can be one big merry-go-round, and that was never more in evidence than it is right now.

Corky Browne left Carrigtwohill for a life in racing, working with legendary trainer Fred Winter, in England, before forging a glorious partnership with five-time champion trainer Nicky Henderson. Browne announced his retirement, at 77, last week, ending a 62-year association with the sport.

If Giant’s Causeway was the iron horse of flat racing then it is no exaggeration to describe Un De Sceaux as the National Hunt equivalent.

Un de Sceaux has upset the odds to claim the feature race on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival - the BoyleSportsChampion Chase.

AP McCoy shares his thoughts on the psychology of success.

There is a great card to get the 2019 Punchestown festival underway and Delta Work can ensure a good start to a long week for punters by taking the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

I have some great rides to look forward on the opening day of the Punchestown festival, it’s a brilliant week and I can’t wait for it to get underway.

Funny sort of week. Great week for Willie and a brilliant week for Paul Townend, but it was a funny week for me.

Oh, the up and downs, the highs and lows of national hunt racing. Yesterday had it all for me. It was amazing to win the first race on Klassical Dream and to watch Duc Des Genievres win the second – it was clear the horses were in great order.

Can Altior be beaten?

He’s a winning machine on the brink of equalling a modern-day winning sequence — so why has three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Altior yet to fully capture the public imagination?

Altior will face eight rivals when he attempts to win back-to-back renewals of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.

Castlegrace Paddy took full advantage of the early exit of Great Field to run out a most impressive winner of the Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase at Cork.

Back for the winter season and it really begins to kick into gear from this point.

Former Gold Cup third Road To Riches could return to Cheltenham this autumn after changing hands at Doncaster on Wednesday.

The finale to the National Hunt season could hardly start on a better note, with three fantastic Grade Ones on the seven-race card on the first day of the Punchestown Festival.

After a seemingly endless spell of testing ground, the weather has finally changed and the forecast for next week is for mainly dry weather, with the odd shower of rain, writes Ruby Walsh.

Eighteen years. It’s how long Jack Kennedy, who announced himself to the wider world with four wins at this week’s Festival, has been on this planet. But it’s also how long British champion jockey Richard Johnson, a veteran of more than 3,000 victories, has had to wait for a second Timico Gold Cup victory.

"Altior was unfortunately lame this morning in his near-fore leg."

Four days at Cheltenham in March can dictate how a bookmakers’ business can perform for the entire year, Boylesports’ communications chief Leon Blanche tells Pádraig Hoare

The Willie Mullins-trained stars are expected to feature in the Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle respectively.

Nicky Henderson has revealed he has a secret plan for Might Bite in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week.

There’s a top and a bottom in every sport, and to suggest the top is killing the bottom in jump racing is, in my opinion, off the mark, writes Ruby Walsh.

The Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle - the feature race on day three of the Punchestown Festival - was a tale of one jockey who can practically do no wrong this season and another who can barely catch a break this week, writes Darren Norris.

Fox Norton followed up his Aintree success by taking the scalp of Un De Sceaux in the BoyleSports Champion Chase at Punchestown.

It will be a surprise should the somewhat draconian penalties be allowed to stand, writes Pat Keane.

Djakadam can make it third time lucky in this afternoon’s Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the feature on the final day of what, until yesterday, had been a very difficult meeting for punters.

It was tough, but we’re all still standing, and we must move on, writes Ruby Walsh.