Connections of Lord Windermere are confident the 2014 hero can put up a bold defence of his Gold Cup tittle at Prestbury Park today.

It’s Gold Cup day at Cheltenham but I won’t be disappointed if the forecast rain arrived overnight and continues through the morning as it will suit my mount, Djakadam, writes Ruby Walsh.

Foxrock will be supplemented for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after owner Barry Connell ruled out a tilt at the Gold Cup.

Zarkandar will head straight to the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with an upbeat report from trainer Paul Nicholls.

Until Winning took advantage of a lenient rating to win at Ludlow on his third race following a 22-month absence.

Charlie Swan is to retire from the training ranks at the end of this month.

Colm Murphy faces a race against time to ready The Westener Boy for the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. The seven-year-old missed the majority of 2013 after picking up an injury when falling in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran, for which he was joint-favourite, and returned to action over hurdles earlier this year.

Colm Murphy faces a race against time to ready The Westener Boy for the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Trainer Christy Roche believes Groody Hill is coming back to form at the right time as he bids for a second victory in tomorrow’s Ladbrokes Troytown Chase at Navan.

Any day you have a winner at Cheltenham is a good day and I was more than happy with Faugheen’s victory in the first.

Castle Wings was left to open his account over fences in fortuitous fashion after the long odds-on Blood Cotil took a crashing fall at the second last in the McCarthy Insurance Group Beginners Chase at Cork.

Armagh went out of the All-Ireland football championship on Saturday, but Jimmy Lambe struck a blow for the county when saddling 25-1 shot Silk Hall to land the featured Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary yesterday.

Jezki boasts a perfect record over flights and the smaller-than-expected field casts aside concerns that he may not operate as well in numerically strong races.

The recent HRI figures didn’t half illustrate the massive decline in activity in the betting ring in Ireland, threatening the very existence of on-course bookmakers down the line.

Sizing Europe will be given entries in three championship races at Cheltenham - the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase and the Betfred Gold Cup.

EARLIER this week’s boxing’s ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali, celebrated his 70th birthday and 50 years ago yesterday, National Hunt racing’s equivalent, the peerless steeplechaser Arkle, gained his first victory in a modest novice hurdle at Navan.

The Irish Grand National is on the agenda for Ballytrim after he bounced back to form to land the Lucan Racing Leinster National Handicap Chase at Naas.

Tom O’Leary would love to see the clouds gather over Aintree this week with every drop of rain set to aid the chances of his confirmed mudlark Preists Leap in the John Smith’s Grand National.

JIMMY Mangan is confident Conna Castle will make his presence felt in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton on Saturday.

TONY McCOY faces an even stiffer task than was first expected as he goes in search of his 3,000th jumps winner at Sandown today after one of his three intended mounts was declared a non-runner.

TOM HOGAN intends running both last year’s third Silver Jaro and Kirkbybroguelantern, who is dropping back to two miles, in the Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Michael Hourigan plans to keep A New Story as busy as possible with an outing in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier at Leopardstown this Sunday.

Bookmakers are already running scared of Royal County Star as Tony Martin’s hope is set to carry just 10st 4lb in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Monday.

DENIS O’REGAN will be looking to continue his recent run of big-race success when he gets the leg-up on Priests Leap in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Monday.

Denis O’Regan will be looking to continue his recent run of big-race success when he gets the leg-up on Priests Leap in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Monday.

PAT HUGHES is hoping Point Barrow can boost his claims for the John Smith’s Grand National with a good performance in Saturday’s Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock.

Newmill could make a quick reappearance at Punchestown on Sunday following his fine effort on unsuitable ground at Gowran Park.

THOMAS O’LEARY is planning an assault on the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday with Preists Leap, following the eight-year-old’s impressive success in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday.

Ferdy Murphy is to launch an all-out attack on the Powers Whisky Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on April 9.

IT’S a familiar theme, and there is every reason to believe that having the Ruby Walsh-Willie Mullins combination on your side should again pay dividends at Clonmel this afternoon.

WILLIE MULLINS, successful twice previously in the race with Micko’s Dream and Hedgehunter, saddled the first two, Homer Wells and Livingstonebramble, in the Thyestes Chase before a huge crowd at Gowran Park yesterday.

Seemingly from nowhere, Martin Brassil has emerged as one of this country’s rising training talents over the past two years. But, as Declan Colley discovered, the quietly spoken Curragh handler prefers to let his charges do the talking for him.

NICANOR, winner of the SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at Cheltehnam, got an enterprising drive from champion-elect Ruby Walsh in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa Champion Novice Hurdle.

TOP amateur jockey Derek O'Connor starred on the second day of the Limerick festival yesterday with a double that included Coolnahilla's victory in the featured Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase.

NUMBERSIXVALVERDE is the choice to land a wide open 27-runner Powers' Gold Label Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

Numbersixvalverde goes for a valuable handicap double in tomorrow’s Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National with trainer Martin Brassil confident he will “love” the three-mile-five-furlong trip.

Watson Lake jumped to the forefront of the Cheltenham picture after an authoritative display of front-running under Paul Carberry in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan today.

Takagi booked his ticket for the Martell Cognac Grand National with an impressive victory in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse yesterday.

STAR STORM can get back on the winning trail in the competitive 25,000 Powers Ulster National Handicap Chase, over three and a half miles at Downpatrick this afternoon.

Limestone Lad remains a possible for the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown following a racecourse gallop at Gowran Park today.

A TOTAL of 18 horses have been confirmed for the £120,000 Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on Saturday.