Ruby Walsh will be sidelined for at least two months after breaking his arm in a crashing fall in the opening race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Owner Barry Connell has confirmed Mount Benbulben will be supplemented for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nicky Henderson feels he has not spotted an exceptional rival from another stable to prevent him from lifting the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup once again.

Nicky Henderson was the toast of Cheltenham as he wrapped up a record total of seven winners to land yet another Festival trainers’ title.

FEW professionals attract as much sympathy as the English racing journalist.

You have to enjoy it when the horses are going well and, with three winners in the past week before last night in Dundalk, I am certainly not complaining. In fact four out of my previous ten runners came up trumps so that’s a percentage you’d have to be happy with!

Irish Examiner columnist, Jessica Harrington and fellow trainer, Willie Mullins, have reported their charges to be in good order ahead of the Cheltenham festival, where they will be attempting to bag big cash bonuses courtesy of Boylesports.

This has traditionally been the time of year when Binocular causes Nicky Henderson a major problem, but the trainer believes his troublesome gelding could just be in the shape to redeem himself in the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

WILLIE MULLINS set the opening stage of Leopardstown alight yesterday with a fine double, including Blackstairmountain in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase.

I SUPPOSE people may be a little surprised at my choice of ride, Shakervilz, in Monday’s Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

DIAMOND HARRY has been ruled out of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

NICKY HENDERSON has effectively ruled Punchestowns out of the Cheltenham Festival and is considering giving the chestnut a run at the racecourse which has lent him his name.

DUAL winner Master Minded heads 24 entries for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Aintree Grand National runner-up King Johns Castle is not expected to make a racecourse return for another couple of months.

Ferdy Murphy reports Naiad Du Misselot to be on target for the Ballymore 25th Anniversary Hurdle at Punchestown later this month.

Malcolm Jefferson plans to send a small but select team to Aintree’s three-day Grand National meeting next week.

IF RUBY WALSH would later be left to reflect on the loss of his Gold Cup crown, there was still much evidence available yesterday that when he is provided with the right equipment, he can exploit it like few other jockeys ever can.

BERNADETTE Coffey went to the church in Bantry yesterday morning and lit a candle for Paddy.

Voy Por Ustedes will face just six rivals as he bids for a big-race double in the John Smith’s Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree tomorrow.

Ruby Walsh was crowned champion jockey at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival but it took until the last race of the meeting before he clinched the Racing Post-sponsored trophy.

LISTENING to Ruby Walsh at the Cashmans’ Cheltenham preview-night on Monday you would be inclined to avail of the 7-4 or so available about him to be leading jockey at next week’s Festival.

Nicky Henderson had more than one reason to celebrate after Sandown beat the elements as he witnessed his pupil assistant Jamie Snowden land the Royal Artillery Gold Cup.

Andreas will now head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after an easy success in the Ian Cooper Birthday Handicap Hurdle at Ludlow.

An unprecedented 1034 entries have been revealed for the 10 handicap events at the Cheltenham Festival.

Edredon Bleu looks set to have just one run next season if connections can find a suitable race so that he can bring down the curtain on his distinguished career with a win.

COLMAN SWEENEY (22) from Castlelyons, Co Cork, rode a magnificent race to land the Christie’s Foxhunters Chase on Sleeping Night for Paul Nicholls at Cheltenham yesterday.

IT is now or never for Beef Or Salmon.

TRAINER Noel Meade yesterday stated his intention to run Harchibald in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle next week “unless we find something really wrong with him”.

Nicky Henderson was satisfied with the performance of his Cheltenham Festival team when they worked at Newbury this morning.

HENRIETTA Knight and Terry Biddlecombe, the team responsible for four in-a-row Gold Cup seeking Best Mate at Cheltenham this day fortnight, head an all-star cast for the Cashmans Bookmakers Cheltenham Preview next Tuesday night.

Henry Daly was pleased with the work of his Cheltenham Festival hopes at Bangor today.

BRAVE INCA, one of Ireland’s big hopes for the Cheltenham Festival, may not run before then according to trainer Colm Murphy.

Irish jockey Ruby Walsh made his first trip to Fakenham a winning one when Joly Bey took the Fakenham Racecourse As A Business Venue Novice’s Chase over an extended three miles at the Norfolk course.

The controversial withdrawal of top-weight Lady Cricket from the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham has been referred to the Jockey Club.