JOHN McCRIRICK refused yesterday to temper his criticism of Brian O’Connell’s handling of odds-on favourite, Dunguib, in Tuesday’s Supreme Novice’s Hurdle.

BOOKMAKERS were firmly in the driving seat after an enthralling day one at the Cheltenham Festival.

IT was anything but a great day for the Irish at the annual Cheltenham nagfest yesterday.

COULDN’T believe the news regarding Solwhit on Monday.

DUNGUIB heads 34 horses left in at the confirmation stage for the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

BETTER TIMES can help us top up the Cheltenham tank by landing the nap in the Great Oak Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park this afternoon.

I HAVE a great chance aboard Pasco in a valuable two and a half mile handicap chase at Newbury this afternoon.

Bookmaker Paddy Power has launched an eyecatching special ahead of the Cheltenham Festival by announcing they will return all losing bets in the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle if the red-hot favourite Dunguib wins.

The racing world may soon be running out of superlatives for Dunguib (30-100 favourite) after Philip Fenton's star won the Deloitte Novice Hurdle without coming off the bridle.

PHILIP Fenton plans to walk the track before committing Dunguib to the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

THE public relations merchants for the ante-post firms have been on overdrive this week, letting us know about the sustained gamble on Cooldine for Sunday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

LUSKA LAD can make a successful debut over jumps in the Corrib Food Products Maiden Hurdle at Galway this afternoon.

RITE Of Passage, down in class, gets the nap to win the Rockview Irish National Hunt Bumper at the Curragh this afternoon.

JESSIE’S DREAM, a possible star of the future, gets the nap to land the opening AON Isurance Hurdle at Punchestown this evening.