The first of Cork’s three-day meeting takes place this afternoon, and Sr Carthage can make the most of the conditions to take the valuable Cork Handicap for Jim Bolger.

Theophilus can take the closing race on a tricky card this afternoon at Punchestown.

Well-backed all day and sent off 11/10 favourite, Love Potion made a successful debut for J P McManus and David Wachman in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden in wet and windy Dundalk last night.

I have a day off today, but there is National Hunt racing at Wexford and Willie’s only runner is Pont De Alma, in the bumper.

Due to the problem I spoke of in this column last week - rain, or, more specifically, the lack of it - we’re still waiting to really get going with our National Hunt horses, but Don Cossack didn’t half throw down an early marker with a brilliant comeback this week at Punchestown.

Ryan Moore produced the Willie Mullins-trained Clondaw Warrior with a perfectly-timed challenge to land the Ascot Stakes.

Connections of Open Eagle remain upbeat after the runaway November Handicap winner suffered an odds-on reverse on his hurdling debut at Punchestown on Sunday.

Two rides at Fairyhouse today and four at Punchestown tomorrow make up my weekend, says Ruby Walsh.

Ruby’s Best Bets

Andrew Lynch, who recently lost his job as first jockey to Alan and Ann Potts, struck for the first time this week when driving Portrade to land the featured Ladbrokes’ Handicap Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

Meekong River earned a crack at the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in Saint-Cloud next Saturday when landing the listed Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown yesterday.

Shark Hanlon’s Hidden Cyclone came back to something approaching his best form when storming away with the Southampton Goodwill Chase at Listowel yesterday.

JOHNNY Murtagh was crowned champion jockey for the fifth time, and received his trophy from Katie Taylor, following a double on Takar and Call To Battle for John Oxx at Leopardstown yesterday.

THE tough Quito De La Roque is put forward as the most likely winner of the Grade 1 JNWine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal this afternoon.

MOYENNE Corniche and apprentice rider Dale Swift were the toast of York on Saturday as they teamed up for a local success in the Betfred Ebor.

IRISH racing was given a major boost yesterday with the announcement by Horse Racing Ireland that meetings will be held throughout the winter months at Dundalk.

FRAN BERRY ended the 2010 turf season on a high with a spectacular 150/1 treble at Leopardstown yesterday, highlighted by the emphatic victory of three-year-old filly What A Charm in the Leopardstownm November Handicap and Luisant’s success in the listed Knockaire Stakes.

THE Prince of Wales’s Stakes has emerged a fascinating option for Fame And Glory after his stroll in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

SOLWHIT, a top-priced 6-1 with most firms yesterday for the Champion Hurdle, can live his Cheltenham prospects a major boost by landing the Tohiba-sponsored Irish equivalent at Leopardstown tomorrow.

EVERY year we travel to Cheltenham it’s taken as a given that one of ours will definitely win the Bumper.

SIZING Europe proved a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Jamie Spencer excelled on Our Jonathan to win the Willmott Dixon Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot.

THE progressive John Oxx-trained Anak can win the Almotech Eclipse Maiden over a mile and six at Ballinrobe tonight.

Won In The Dark is unlikely to take up his entry in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran on Sunday.

Mourayan staked his own bid for Classic glory in 2009 among trainer John Oxx’s team with a cosy win at Leopardstown.

Hotham is a bit of a character pre-race but once the stalls open he always puts his best foot forward and he gave trainer Noel Wilson one of his biggest wins in the National Express Reserve Consolation Handicap at Musselburgh.

Luca Cumani plundered the John Smith's Stakes at Newbury for the third time in five years but neither Monte Alto 12 months ago nor Spuradich in 2004 could compare with the seven-length margin chalked up by Presvis.

Classy dual-purpose gelding Group Captain is primed to make his debut for Hugh Collingridge this weekend.

Censored did her paddock value the world of good when getting off the mark at the third attempt in the Di Goldsmith’s 60th Birthday Celebration Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Sandown.

Ryan Moore stole a march on his chief rivals in the jockeys' championship with a near 7-1 double at Kempton, highlighted by Malt Or Mash's victory in the intercasino.co.uk Dragonfly Stakes.

With all the attention focused on title-chasing jockeys Seb Sanders and Jamie Spencer at Doncaster, the casual racegoer could be forgiven for paying the £75,000 totesport.com November Handicap little more than polite notice.

SEB Sanders leads Jamie Spencer by just one winner as the jockeys’ title race reaches its thrilling conclusion at Doncaster today.

Noel Meade’s golden run of form continued as Mattock Ranger won the paddypower.com Cork Grand National.

JOHN McCONNELL, who moved from his Monaghan base to the Curragh last week, was on the mark at Cork yesterday when Coolnaharan landed the Alchemy Properties Handicap Hurdle.

Al Eile is to have a break and will not run at York next week where he had a choice of engagements.

Eoin Griffin hopes Lounaos can become just the fourth filly to win a JCB Triumph Hurdle when she tackles 23 rivals at Cheltenham tomorrow.

EOIN GRIFFIN has been thrilled with Lounaos as preparations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle gather momentum.

Eoin Griffin has been thrilled with Lounaos as preparations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle gather momentum.

Eoin Griffin has confirmed that Lounaos, the 10-1 joint-favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, is a real possibility for the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 28.

Cane Brake gave Barry Geraghty back-to-back wins in the williamhill.ie Troytown Handicap Chase with a clear-cut victory in the Navan feature.

Roger Charlton's Group Captain stole the show at Windsor with a rousing victory the totesport.com November Handicap today.

Three of the top hurdlers are going for tomorrow’s AIG Irish Champion Hurdle. Michael Halford’s Golden Cross might not be rated as one of them, but, the trainer tells Declan Colley he deserves his chance and could surprise people.

Trainer Michael Halford insists Johnny Murtagh is “up to the challenge” of partnering Golden Cross in the Ballymore Properties Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.