Pat Kelly’s charge is enigmatic but, just like his media-shy trainer, utterly fascinating, writes Pat Keane.

What did we really expect leaving Cheltenham last year? When we looked at all the results, how did we think, 12 months down the line, those winners would fair back at the Festival?

In recent years, Festival Trials Day has more than lived up to its billing with 16 runners over the last five years going on to win at Cheltenham in March.

Stay on the good side of these 10 chasers in the months ahead.

The eight-year-old surrendered her unbeaten record over fences when going down by a length and a quarter to Kalashnikov at Aintree on her final start last season but that was her sole defeat in five starts in the 2018-19 campaign.

It was the sweetest of farewells.

There is a great card to get the 2019 Punchestown festival underway and Delta Work can ensure a good start to a long week for punters by taking the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

After the conspicuous lack of success on Day One I’m twitchy.

The Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle is today’s feature race and Paisley Park can crown a flawless campaign by landing the spoils for trainer Emma Lavelle and jockey Aidan Coleman.

Oh, the up and downs, the highs and lows of national hunt racing. Yesterday had it all for me. It was amazing to win the first race on Klassical Dream and to watch Duc Des Genievres win the second – it was clear the horses were in great order.

From Arkle v Mill House to Kauto Star v Denman to Native River v Might Bite, the Cheltenham Festival has produced some epic duels down the years. It’ll be no different this week and the three showdowns below certainly won’t be for the faint-hearted, says Darren Norris

Owner Philip Reynolds is “counting down the days” to the Cheltenham Festival as he eyes Magners Gold Cup glory with Presenting Percy.

The finale to the National Hunt season could hardly start on a better note, with three fantastic Grade Ones on the seven-race card on the first day of the Punchestown Festival.

Ruby Walsh, who aggravated an old injury at last week’s Cheltenham Festival, has ruled out making a return in time for Aintree but remains hopeful he will back in the saddle for next month’s Punchestown festival.

Last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Sizing John, may not be here to defend his crown but trainer Jessica Harrington has an able deputy in the shape of Our Duke, who can land racing’s blue riband on the final day of another very successful Festival for Irish-trained runners.

Last year's winner Sizing John and ante-post favourite Might Bite feature among 38 entries for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Djakadam can make it third time lucky in this afternoon’s Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the feature on the final day of what, until yesterday, had been a very difficult meeting for punters.

Lost amid the fanfare of the Jockey Club’s recent £45m (€51.6m) facelift of Prestbury Park, with its 6,500-capacity grandstand, new members’ facilities and improved bars, was a fresh expanse of artificial grass about the size of a tennis court just to the left of the jockeys’ weighing room.

It was tough, but we’re all still standing, and we must move on, writes Ruby Walsh.

Yesterday was a day of near misses, but the horses ran well. I couldn’t have asked more of Melon, who just ran into a better one in the Supreme. 

Harry Fry is a trainer of immense talent and the confident expectation is Neon Wolf will give him cause for celebration after today’s opening race, the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.

The anticipated clash between two of last year’s leading staying hurdlers did not materialise at Thurles, but, in the absence of Prince Of Scars, the opening race proved a worthwhile schooling exercise for the Mouse Morris-trained Alpha Des Obeaux.

We really ought to have known better. History has shown that underestimating Carlingford Lough and John Kiely is a foolish move but some lessons are harder absorbed than others.

Paul Nicholls has won a 10th National Hunt trainers' championship at Sandown following second place for Just A Par in the bet365 Gold Cup.

Let the madness of Grand National Day begin. Unfortunately for me, after my fall from Blood Cotil in the Topham I sustained a wrist injury and won’t be involved in the way I had hoped.

Ballyandy inched home in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper to give both trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and his jockey-son Sam doubles at Cheltenham.

It is less than nine years since Gordon Elliot burst on to the training scene when claiming Grand National glory with Silver Birch. Wind the clock forward to March 2016, and Elliott has sent out over 120 winners in Britain and Ireland combined this season — and brings a formidable team of around 25 horses from his impressive Cullentra base to Cheltenham...