Done and dusted with the Cheltenham Festival for another year but what a week it has been! Barring Annie Power tipping up at the last in the mares’ hurdle, it has been fantastic. 

Wicklow Brave gave Willie Mullins a magnificent seventh victory at the Festival when springing a 25-1 surprise in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

It is the question I have been bombarded with for months now: Hurricane Fly or Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle?

A definitive decision on More Of That’s participation could be reached by the end of the week.

Anthony Honeyball insists he is thinking solely of this afternoon’s William Hill Imperial Cup at Sandown rather than the Cheltenham Festival with Regal Encore.

Barizan earned a possible trip to Galway after putting his problems behind him with a gritty display to take the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.

Nicky Henderson is desperately hoping the ground will be quick enough for Forgotten Voice and Cape Express in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, the big race on an afternoon of mixed Flat and jumps action at Haydock today.

I haven’t ridden since taking two falls at Leopardstown last Sunday and you won’t see me on the battlefield again until the start of Cheltenham next Tuesday.

Three days to go to Cheltenham now and the excitement is mounting.

Supporters of ante-post favourite Mr Mole have been advised to hold their bets on Paul Nicholls’ charge in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday.

Donald McCain has given a guarded welcome to the innovation of new plastic birch for the so-called ‘cores’ of the Grand National fences at Aintree this year.

After his best ever National Hunt season, Donald McCain turned his attentions to the Flat and saddled the first two home in the StanJames.com Chester Cup through Ile De Re and Overturn.

Big Buck’s put more than a smile on my face with a great performance in the World Hurdle yesterday.

I was really happy with the manner in which Kauto Star came though his gallop at Wincanton last evening.

The Pipe stable are banking on Master Of Arts giving them a ninth victory in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle at Sandown tomorrow.

David Pipe is responsible for just one of the 37 entries for the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday.

IT’S Chepstow this afternoon for just three rides, but I’m certainly not making the journey for a day out and will be disappointed if failing to get among the winners.

SOON enough the time for talking will be over but that won’t stop me as I’ll be here all next week to keep you up to date with what is happening in Cheltenham with my own runners, while offering some news from the rest of the Irish and anything else I might pick up along the way, as well as my opinion on the big races.

JESSICA HARRINGTON’S Alpine Eagle and Prince Of Fire from Charlie Swan’s stable will carry Irish hopes in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown tomorrow.

The Cheltenham nerves are kicking in now and we’re really just putting the finishing touches to our team for the festival. We haven’t fully decided on the full make-up of that team but Oscars Well and Bostons Angel will definitely be going and I’m happy to report that they are well.

CAPTAIN Cee Bee is reported to be in fine shape ahead of his bid for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

PHILIP Hobbs believes Qaspal will need plenty of luck just to get a run at Cheltenham despite his battling victory in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup.

I have seven rides for the weekend and the hope is to walk out of Limerick tomorrow unscathed and fit and raring to go for the biggest four days of the season at Cheltenham.

Philip Hobbs may have drawn a blank at the Cheltenham Festival but he has his string in tremendous heart and advertised the fact yet again with a double at Haydock.

Belcantista, ante-post gamble for The Ladbroke, has sneaked in one from bottom in the 21-horse line-up.

Top-weight and leading fancy Ashkazar has been declared a non-runner in tomorrow’s Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nicky Richards is likely to send a strong team to Aintree next week, with the Robert Ogden-owned Palomar among his brighter hopes.

THE talking has finally finished and now it is time for action.

Connections have yet to make a decision on which race Ashkazar runs in at the Cheltenham Festival.

Ashkazar will net a £75,000 bonus if following up at the Cheltenham Festival after plundering the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown.

The Pipe family continued their monopoly of the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown as Ashkazar made all the running under Timmy Murphy.

All the major fancies for the JCB Triumph Hurdle remain among the 38 remaining possibles at the six-day stage.

Tony McCoy and Tarlac will team up to tackle the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown with one key thing in common.

Andrew Balding breathed a sigh of relief after Albinus crept into the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown.

Fearghal Davis will bid to keep his unbeaten record on Palomar intact in the valuable totesport Trophy at Newbury on Saturday.

Gaspara is “the one to beat” in the Oilexco Mares Only Hurdle at Ascot tomorrow, according to Tom Scudamore.

Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh continued where they left off in December with a 137-1 treble at Sandown.

Master Minded enjoyed a reassuring first victory in Britain on yet another glittering afternoon for his trainer Paul Nicholls at Sandown.

Adrian McGuinness hopes to book promising conditional Kevin Tobin for Victram in Saturday’s Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle.

David Pipe is looking forward to unleashing his admirable filly Gaspara in the Daniel Gath Homes Mares Only Hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday.

Gaspara is likely to be roughed off for the summer rather than continue her season with a trip to France.

Voy Por Ustedes, trained by Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton, won the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature race on the second day of the 2007 Cheltenham Festival.

Gaspara rounded proceedings off on day one of the Cheltenham Festival by putting her rivals to the sword in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Andrew McNamara hopes lightning can strike twice when Newmill bids for glory in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.