Last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Sizing John, may not be here to defend his crown but trainer Jessica Harrington has an able deputy in the shape of Our Duke, who can land racing’s blue riband on the final day of another very successful Festival for Irish-trained runners.

Gordon Elliott completed a treble with Tell us More, De Plotting Shed and Brelade in Naas to round off a remarkable weekend, adding to his six winners at the two-day Down Royal festival and a double in Cork yesterday.

On Saturday afternoon Leopardstown hosted an Irish Gold Cup meeting which threw many Cheltenham markets into complete disarray.

After a frustrating series of five second-place finishes, interrupted only by a late departure when in contention in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree festival of 2015, the talented Alpha Des Obeaux earned a long overdue return to the winner’s circle with a convincing victory in the Galmoy Hurdle.

Following Saturday’s victory with Coney Island, trainer Eddie Harty made it three wins from as many runners at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting when Minella Foru took the valuable Paddy Power Chase and Copy That landed a touch in the two-mile handicap hurdle on day two of the four-day festival, writes Tommy Lyons.

As the National Hunt season engages top gear, the markets for the Cheltenham Festival begin to take shape.

Barry Geraghty does not think the returning Hargam faces an easy task in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

There may be a dictum that frowns on cheering in the press box, but the sight of Martello Tower persevering in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Chase was guaranteed to curry quiet favour among those tasked with covering these events. 

Colm Greaves looks at the Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle, Noel Meade’s prospects and novice chasers.

Top Notch represents a good value bet in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, writes Tommy Lyons.

If the betting firms are to be believed then this year’s Cheltenham Festival could well be the one which sees John Ferguson break his duck and saddle his first winner at the iconic meeting, writes Graham Clark.

Sam Twiston-Davies is excited by the prospect of riding Rocky Creek in the Crabbie’s Grand National following his victory under a big weight at Kempton on Saturday.

Gordon Elliott is keen to see if he has a Triumph Hurdle horse on his hands in the shape of Vercingetorix who lines up in Sunday’s Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.

There could hardly have been a more dramatic start to the final day, with the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle centring very much around two jockeys, Ruby Walsh and Davy Russell.

Ruby Walsh will be sidelined for at least two months after breaking his arm in a crashing fall in the opening race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ruby Walsh’s Cheltenham Festival came to a premature end after a crashing fall in the first race left him nursing a broken arm.

I was absolutely kicking myself after Annie Power had got beaten by More Of That in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday.

And so the great day has dawned.

It was a million-pound five-year old with a glittering past and an even brighter future but owner Barry Connell suspected the worst as soon as Our Conor fell at the third obstacle in yesterday’s Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Last Instalmen headed to England yesterday as trainer Philip Fenton delayed a decision on his participation in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup until the middle of the week.

Willie Mullins has sounded a cautious note about a potential Stan James Champion Hurdle bid for the exciting Un De Sceaux.

My Tent Or Yours is likely to go down the racecourse gallop route in his preparation for the Stan James Champion Hurdle after trainer Nicky Henderson ruled out a trip to Wincanton.

Over 350 entries have been made for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, JCB Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with the Willie Mullins stable responsible for 64 of those.

Willie Mullins is convinced Hurricane Fly will improve by at least 5lb before the record-breaker bids to win the Champion Hurdle for a third time at Cheltenham in March.

Tony McCoy was at his brilliant best as the Aidan O'Brien-trained Plinth claimed a last-gasp victory in the Paddy Power iPad App 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Analifet kept her unbeaten record intact with a bloodless victory in the Bar One Racing Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Champagne Fever made a very impressive fencing debut in the Connexus Communications Beginners Chase at Punchestown.

Paul Nicholls had started to doubt the desire of Zarkandar but the application of blinkers and a step up in trip showed the six-year-old in a vastly different light as he thwarted The New One in what looked a top-quality John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle.

Our Conor, the most exciting young hurdler in National Hunt racing, has been bought by Barry Connell.

Bobs Worth gets the vote to land what looks a high-class Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup today.

Hurricane Fly will face a maximum of nine rivals when he aims to regain his crown in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

There were plenty willing to knock Sir Des Champs as a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, following his hard-earned defeat of Flemenstar in the Hennessy at Leopardstown a week ago, but here's one who continues to believe he has a massive chance next month.

I ride in all seven races at Newbury today, but the undoubted highlight promises to be Silviniaco Conti (pictured) in the Denman Chase.