Charlie Swan expects Ruby Walsh to desert Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, despite his historic fifth victory in the Irish equivalent on Sunday.

Jezki remains on course for another clash with great rival Hurricane Fly in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle back at Leopardstown on January 25.

The talking is about to end and the meeting we have been waiting for since the start of the season,

Dessie Hughes insists Our Conor “couldn’t be better” ahead of his second crack at Hurricane Fly in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 26.

Jockey Ruby Walsh believes young pretender Our Conor has something to prove when he takes on Hurricane Fly in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29.

A tilt at the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28 is “looking likely” for Unioniste.

Nicky Henderson has won the Champion Hurdle on five previous occasions and this year the Seven Barrows trainer has a trio of runners in 2010 winner Binocular, Grandouet and Khyber Kim.

And they’re off.

Last Tuesday you had to wonder whether Hurricane Fly continued to be blessed with four legs.

Willie Mullins is currently dominating Irish National Hunt racing in a manner not seen since the days of the late Tom Dreaper.

Willie Mullins would rather Quevega did not have to tackle Voler La Vedette in the Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle at Punchestown.

Trainer Willie Mullins agonised long and hard over which race to send Boston Bob this week and came down on the side of today’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Rock On Ruby, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Noel Fehily, won the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Willie Mullins is pleased to see the taps being turned on at Cheltenham ahead of Hurricane Fly’s defence of the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

QUITO De La Roque and Jessies Dream will both miss the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

DERMOT WELD expects to have a better idea of where Unaccompanied stands in the pecking order after she runs in the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 29.

IT’S the kind of line up that will have racing fans salivating at the bit: Big Zeb, Fame And Glory, Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Sizing Europe and So You Think all taking each other on for one title - Horse Racing Ireland’s Horse of the Year.

THE forecast for the next week starting tomorrow is that it will be very unsettled so we’re adopting a wait-and-see policy before deciding what to do with Dragon Pulse.

Binocular could bid to round off what has been another turbulent season in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on May 6.

CHAMPION Hurdle hero Hurricane Fly remains on course to round off his season at the Punchestown Festival.

Ruby Walsh wasted no time in putting his stamp on the race to be crowned top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival by riding a first day treble.

BOOKMAKERS were left singing the blues after a Ruby Tuesday with Ruby Walsh completing his comeback from a broken leg in style with a near 75-1 treble that saw punters on top after day one of Cheltenham.

“HE will be some horse if he ever settles,” quipped Ruby Walsh, after he had powered Willie Mullins’ Hurricane Fly to a glorious victory in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday.

WHEN Kauto Star landed the Gold Cup two years ago he created history.

THERE has been much talk leading into Cheltenham regarding the riding arrangements for Hurricane Fly strongly fancied in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly spearheads seven confirmations for Sunday’s BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

JOCKEY Brian O’Connell admits Dunguib will have plenty on his plate as he returns to action in Sunday’s BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

QUEEN MOTHER Champion Chase hero Big Zeb is on course to begin the new winter campaign at Navan next month.

ON Monday morning a large number of the press corps made their way to Co. Carlow for a 10.30am rendezvous with Willie Mullins.

GIVEN that we are in the deepest recession since the foundation of the state, you would have to describe Punchestown last week as reasonably successful.

GORDON Elliott’s rapidly improving Tharawaat can enjoy a first Grade 1 success in the Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday.

Mick Easterby made a victorious first visit to Lingfield as Gentleman’s Deal maintained his unbeaten run on the all-weather in the Betdirect Winter Derby.

Kieren Fallon is looking forward to renewing his partnership with King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner Hurricane Run in the Prix Foy at Longchamp tomorrow.

Stevie Wonder is to perform at a New Orleans concert to mark one year since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf coast of the US.

Kieren Fallon has hailed the performance of Hurricane Run in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

Kieren Fallon is hoping that last season’s Horse of the Year Hurricane Run will be able to handle the testing conditions at the Curragh on his reappearance in the Tattersalls Gold Cup tomorrow.

Hurricane Wilma weakened slightly as it roared toward Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and southern Florida today, leaving at least 12 people dead in its wake and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands in coastal areas from Honduras to the Florida Keys.

ACCORDION ETOILE has emerged from his chasing debut in top form and is on course to make an appearance in the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on November 13.

Andre Fabre has said he is happy with Hurricane Run as the Chantilly-based trainer puts the finishing touches to the colt’s preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Andre Fabre has expressed himself happy with Hurricane Run as the Chantilly-based trainer puts the finishing touches to the colt’s preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – Lucien Barriere.

The US, in conjunction with other oil consuming nations, expects to release 2 million barrels a day of crude oil and petrol from US and international emergency government reserves to counter supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina, administration officials said today.