WITH conditions in his favour, Joncol will be expected to become the first horse since Native Upmanship to win a second John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.

IT is sometimes quite amazing how a simple comment, or a preconceived notion, can have such a bearing on one’s behaviour.

WE may be in the middle of the worst recession in the history of this state, but it really made little or no difference to Galway this week.

ON Galway Plate Day, the bookies got hosed and not just by the rain, which finally made its obligatory appearance in Ballybrit.

WHEN I walked out of Cork University Hospital exactly two weeks ago there was only one thing on my mind, the Galway Plate and Blazing Tempo.

CHARLES BYRNES has confirmed it is “more than likely” stable star Solwhit will bypass the Cheltenham Festival in favour of a trip to Aintree in April.

LEOPARDSTOWN yesterday announced the entries for the 4 Grade 1 races on Sunday, February 6, the featured Hennessy Gold Cup, Dr PJ Moriarty Chase, Deloitte Novice Hurdle and the Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

FOR BILL can leave two relatively disappointing recent efforts behind by landing the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Mares Beginners Chase at Thurles this afternoon.

PAUL NOLAN’S Cuan Na Grai will prove hard to beat in the Town and District Chase at Tipperary tonight.