Ferdy Murphy’s day at Ayr started on a sour note when Percutant was one of two horses to be fatally injured in the opening race, but Elzahann’s success in the Coral Backing Poppyscotland Mares’ Handicap Hurdle helped lift the stable’s spirits ahead of the Coral Scottish Grand National.

Jim Lewis was back in the winner’s enclosure on King George day at Kempton as Breedsbreeze maintained a 100% record over fences in the Nigel Clark Feltham Novices’ Chase.

TIMMY Murphy has escaped serious injury following his fall at Southwell on Tuesday evening.

Timmy Murphy has escaped serious injury following his fall at Southwell on Tuesday evening.

In more ways than one it was very much a case of the calm before the storm for racegoers at Market Rasen.

Nick Williams set his sights on the Connaught Gold Cup Handicap Chase some time ago for Maljimar and his plan can come to fruition at Newbury tomorrow.

Countrywide Comet can light up the evening at Wolverhampton by landing a hat-trick in the Ringside Nursery.

Cesare faces no easy task giving weight away all round in Goodwood’s feature totesport.com Celebration Mile, but should be up to the job.

Nicky Henderson believes All Star could be his best chance of winning one of the ultra-competitive handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Richard Johnson made the dash to Haydock worthwhile when he rode Richard Lee’s Mister Potter to victory in the Red Square Vodka “Fixed Brush” Novices’ Hurdle.

Amanpuri completed a hat-trick of successes at Fontwell with a typically gutsy performance to land the Weatherbys Bank Handicap Hurdle.

Martin Broughton can dream of a possible trip to the Cheltenham Festival with Cruising River after the Henrietta Knight-trained gelding claimed victory in the Weatherbys Printing Handicap at Huntingdon.

British Horseracing Board chairman Martin Broughton might have a few pressing business matters on his mind at the moment but he found the time to go to Huntingdon and watch Cruising River take the day’s biggest prize at odds of 25-1.

Richard Johnson, forced to give up the big-race rides on Monkerhostin and One Knight over the Christmas period, returned to winning ways at Taunton for Philip Hobbs.

Senorita Rumbalita avoided the last-fence drama of her hurdling debut to keep backers warm in the cold at Folkestone.

Punters should be keen to support Englishtown as he tackles the £40,000 (€59,100)-added totesport Summer Festival Handicap Hurdle at Newton Abbot tomorrow.

Mr Dinglawi became the first horse to win since competing at the Cheltenham Festival when he ran away with the Army Benevolent Fund Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow today.

RICHARD JOHNSON reached 100 winners for the ninth consecutive season with a typically power-packed ride on Billyvoddan in the EBF Play Monopoly At skybetvegas.com ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster yesterday.

Tony McCoy has won his appeal against a 10-day riding ban for dropping his hands and losing third place on Batten Down at Bangor.

Tony McCoy was hit with a 10-day ban for failing to ride out for third place at Bangor this afternoon.

Mick Easterby is keen to run Parknasilla in the JCB Triumph Hurdle following the four-year-old’s successful jumping debut at Leicester.

Richard Guest has occasionally seemed to have a nose for trouble during a controversial riding career.