Owner Rich Ricci says his “heart went out to Willie Mullins” when the trainer rang him to tell him three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Vautour had died in freak accident on Sunday.

Clemens Fankhauser became just the seventh rider in Rás history to win the race more than once yesterday, the Austria Tirol man riding into sun-baked Skerries adorned in the yellow jersey he claimed last Tuesday in Dingle.

Eddie Dunbar avoided disaster to stay in contention for the yellow jersey at the An Post Rás yesterday, the young Corkman battling to limit his losses to just 14 seconds after a late mechanical threatened to derail his chances.

Ireland’s Conor Dunne claimed the biggest win of his career yesterday with a brilliant ‘smash and grab’ in the hardest one-day race on the UK calendar, the Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic (1.2).

Sempre Medici justified short-priced favouritism to win the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday.

YES: Slick jumping and endless stamina can see Mullins hope home and hosed, argues Darren Norris

The JLT just got a whole lot more competitive. That was the consensus after Douvan, the horse which trainer Willie Mullins describes as ‘a different species’, gave an exhibition of jumping when routing two smart rivals in the Frank Ward Solicitors Irish Arkle.

Vautour bounced right back to his brilliant best to win the JLT Novices’ Chase by a wide margin at the Cheltenham Festival.

Many Clouds will school over fences tomorrow as he gears up for a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 13.

Ptit Zig remains on course for the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham despite sustaining a minor injury in a spill at Ascot last Saturday. 

The Tullow Tank is set to be prepared for the Cheltenham Festival following a much improved effort at Leopardstown.

Gigginstown Stud and Bryan Cooper completed a Grade One double when Valseur Lido emerged an emphatic winner of the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse yesterday.

Sandra Hughes gained an emotional first Grade One triumph just two weeks after the death of her father Dessie when Lieutenant Colonel won a dramatic Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Mortgage insurance will drive up prices, provide minimal protection to borrowers and do little to improve the supply of houses as it is “the wrong medicine for the job”, a group of industry experts said yesterday.

Connections of Oscar Whisky are convinced his Cheltenham nous could be a defining factor in the JLT Novices’ Chase on Thursday.

Al Ferof, Benefficient and Dynaste are among 12 runners in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, with First Lieutenant a significant absentee.

Nicky Henderson has pinpointed Silviniaco Conti and Last Instalment as dangers to Bobs Worth when his star bids to retain his Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup crown next month.

INSURANCE giant FBD has made a further step towards refocusing its business on its core interests, by selling three subsidiaries for a combined €8.5 million.