Brave Inca denied Harchibald in a thrilling finish to the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown today.

Noel Meade is worried that the ground at Punchestown will go against Harchibald in Friday’s Emo Oil Champion Hurdle.

Wild Passion heads a high-class field for the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle on the first day of the Punchestown Festival tomorrow.

LEADING Irish trainers will be able to judge conditions at Punchestown for themselves today when they go on the annual course walk ahead of next week’s four-day Festival.

Royal Shakespeare, runner-up in the Scottish Champion Hurdle on Saturday, could make a quick reappearance at Sandown on Friday or at Punchestown the following week.

LAST year’s Derby winner North Light is set to return in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh next month.

CHELTENHAM Gold Cup hero Kicking King is one of a clutch of big names among the possible runners at this month’s Punchestown Festival after entries for nine of the 10 Grade One races were revealed yesterday.

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King is one of a clutch of big names among the possible runners at this month’s Punchestown Festival after entries for nine of the 10 Grade One races were revealed today.

BRAVE INCA is unscathed after his fall in Saturday's Scottish And Newcastle Aintree Hurdle and may next be seen at the Punchestown Festival in a fortnight's time.

Brave Inca is unscathed after his fall in yesterday’s Scottish And Newcastle Aintree Hurdle and may next be seen at the Punchestown Festival.

PUNCHESTOWN are hoping to attract the Irish trio of big-race Cheltenham winners at their Festival meeting next month.

IRISH raider Harchibald is an odds-on shot to make it two Grade Ones win on the bounce in the Stan James Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

CORK tomorrow houses a smashing programme and the welcome presence of Tony McCoy will certainly boost what should be a healthy attendance in any case.

ANYONE who doubted the quality of Hardy Eustace had their answer at Punchestown yesterday.

Hardy Eustace, trained by Dessie Hughes and ridden by Conor O'Dwyer, won the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown today.

The fourth day of the Punchestown National Hunt Festival is due to get underway at the Co Kildare racecourse later today.

HARDY EUSTACE is fancied to confirm Cheltenham form with Rooster Booster in this afternoon’s Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

ON a day when the news broke that Tony McCoy is to take over as first jockey to Jonjo O’Neill, the Castletownroche-born trainer celebrated by saddling two Grade One winners at Punchestown with Rhinestone Cowboy and Cherub.

Rhinestone Cowboy was a surprise name on the list of declared runners for tomorrow’s Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Jonjo O’Neill’s stable stars Iris’s Gift and Rhinestone Cowboy will clash in a mouth-watering renewal of the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown tomorrow.

IRISH bookmakers cannot agree about the chances of Xenophon in the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National, with Paddy Power installing him 5-1 favourite and Cashmans going 14-1.

STAR performers such as Hardy Eustace, Harbour Pilot and Moscow Flyer are likely to be attracted by record prize money of €1.7m at the four-day Punchestown Festival next month.

“Faugh-A-Ballagh”

Tony Dobbin’s special relationship with Quazar scaled new heights with their eighth and most valuable success in the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

THE courageous Quazar turned-over Back In Front at the end of a thrilling Emo Oil Champion Hurdle before a crowd of 15,600 at Punchestown yesterday.

Quazar caused an upset at Punchestown today when flooring odds-on favourite Back In Front in the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle.

RUBY WALSH rode his first winners for Paul Nicholls in this country when Sporazene landed the featured IAWS Champion four-year-old Hurdle and Le Roi Miguel the Swordlestown Cup Novice ’Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

IT looked as if it was going to be a long road back for odds-on punters at Punchestown this week, following Moscow Flyer’s mishap at the second last in yesterday’s BMW Chase.

BIG things were expected of Black Sam Bellamy as a full-brother to dual Derby winner Galileo but it has taken Aidan O’Brien’s charge a while to live up to his sibling’s achievements.

Florida Pearl remains a possible runner in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal next month.

Davenport Milenium captured his second big prize at the Punchestown Festival this week when running out a smooth winner of the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle today.