Solwhit, one of the leading fancies for Tuesday’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, will travel over to England after scoping clean this morning.

WILLIE Mullins is thrilled with the condition of his Cheltenham Festival team after a large number enjoyed a schooling session at Naas on Tuesday.

Tony McCoy expressed satisfaction with comeback kid Binocular, who came through a schooling session yesterday with flying colours.

Training legend Martin Pipe believes the Dunguib camp have done the right thing in sticking to the novice route at Cheltenham next week.

PUNCHESTOWNS has suffered a setback in his preparation for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Smart dual purpose performer Blue Bajan is out for about a year with a leg problem.

Nigel Twiston-Davies reports Khyber Kim to be in fine shape ahead of next month’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

NOEL Meade plans to give Go Native a post-racing workout at Leopardstown on Sunday week to crown his preparations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.

Noel Meade plans to give Go Native a post-racing workout at Leopardstown on Sunday week to crown his preparations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.

AVAILING of a window in his thirty-day ban, Paul Carberry guided Oscar Looby to victory in the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chase at Naas yesterday.

Noel Meade plans to shortly bring Go Native back to the boil for a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle – and with it the chance to grab a £1m (€1.1m) bonus.

Hurricane Fly still faces a race against time to be fit for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in March as he continues to recover from a suspensory ligament injury.

Nicky Henderson’s Zaynar could head for the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham following his emphatic victory at Ascot yesterday.

Oliver Brady aims to get Ebadiyan back on the track in about three weeks to start a season he hopes will culminate in a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Colm Murphy is in no rush to make any future plans for Brave Inca following his disappointing display in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last week.

Nicky Henderson landed his fourth Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – but not with favourite Binocular, who could finish only third behind stablemate Punjabi.

All eyes will this afternoon be on Tony McCoy and red-hot favourite Binocular when the tapes go up for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Binocular could be part of the largest field for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in 18 years with Nicky Henderson’s hot favourite one of 24 horses declared for Tuesday’s main event.

Officials at Cheltenham say they don't plan to water the track before next week's Festival after heavy rain hit the track.

The Irish assault on Prestbury Park is part of what makes the Cheltenham Festival what it is – the highlight of the racing calendar.

Sabrina Harty has her fingers crossed the ground at Cheltenham will be more suitable for Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle contender Won In The Dark than it was 12 months ago.

Hardy Eustace will head a raiding party of six from the Dessie Hughes stable at Cheltenham next week.

EBAZIYAN will return to the scene of his finest hour for a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle following his return to winning form under Ruby Walsh at Leopardstown yesterday.

Henry de Bromhead is delighted to have secured the services of Denis O’Regan to ride Sizing Europe in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday week.

A total of 29 horses stand their ground at the latest forfeit stage for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the feature race of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Brave Inca is having a relatively easy time before beginning the final preparations in his bid to regain the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Binocular is reported to be in good form as his preparation for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham steps up a gear.

Won In The Dark could go for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle without another run if the ground at Leopardstown is unsuitable.

Victory in the feature of the opening day of Cheltenham - the Smurfit Champion Hurdle – has gone to the Alan King trained ‘Katchit’.

Thousands of Irish racing fans are braving adverse weather conditions in Britain today for the opening of the annual Cheltenham Festival.

Sizing Europe and defending champion Sublimity are among 17 declarations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.

Nicky Henderson outlined his plans for a 21-horse assault on the Cheltenham Festival, spearheaded by a double attack on the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle with Punjabi and Afsoun.

HENRY DE BROMHEAD is set to hand Sizing Europe an imminent away-day as he plots a path to Cheltenham for a tilt at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

De Valira remains on target for a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pleasing trainer Michael O’Brien with his comeback effort at the weekend.

Jazz Messenger will head straight to Cheltenham for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pleasing Noel Meade when second at Gowran on Saturday.

Nicky Henderson is mulling plans for Amaretto Rose after the mare was pulled up on her seasonal bow at Wincanton.

Harry Rogers faces a race against time to get Silent Oscar fit for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on March 11.

Andrew McNamara believes last year’s winner Sublimity will still be the one to beat when Sizing Europe lines up against him in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

De Valira is to be given an opportunity to book his ticket for Cheltenham in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on February 16.

Following a rollercoaster ride of a week in which Gold Cup-bound pair Kauto Star and Denman both did the business, the weekend action took something of a back seat.

Leg Spinner was given a quote of just 33-1 for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after storming to victory on the Flat in the £2.5m totescoop6 Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Farmer Brown earned himself a 40-1 quote with William Hill for next year’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after demolishing his rivals in the €210,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle.

Silent Oscar pipped last year's winner Macs Joy as the pair battled it out down the Punchestown straight in a thrilling ACC Bank Champion Hurdle.

NEWMILL could face two of the three horses that finished ahead of him at Cheltenham last month as he bids for back-to-back victories in Punchestown’s Kerrygold Champion Chase later this month.