Federici proved himself on course for next week’s Punchestown Festival when coasting to an emphatic victory in the Next racing At Fairyhouse June 2nd Handicap Hurdle in Fairyhouse yesterday.

The progressive Prince Of Scars caused an upset when landing the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday under a beautifully judged ride from Davy Russell.

Narrow winner of the race in Cork last year, the Willie Mullins-trained Felix Yonger gained his second Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase success when the rescheduled Grade 2 event proved the feature of yesterday’s eight-race card in Navan.

Perfect Woman produced a typically game performance to complete her four-timer in the Ballagh Mares’ Handicap Hurdle at Thurles.

Easter Monday 2016. Somewhere in County Meath. The traffic all the way up to Fairyhouse is brutal. It’s not surprising really.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Sadler’s Risk belied his relative inexperience over fences when taking an eventful renewal of the Ladbrokes Munster National yesterday afternoon at Limerick racecourse.

Galway Plate-winning jockey Jonathan Burke teamed up with larger-than-life character Mick Winters to secure a very popular success aboard TheosWell in the Attheraces Handicap Hurdle yesterday afternoon at Cork racecourse.

Fresh from his Galway Hurdle exploits, trainer Tony Martin dominated day five at the Galway Festival, recording a near 144-1 treble with Vive La France, Tudor City and Dark Crusader.

It was a night of mixed luck for trainer Gordon Elliott in Ballinrobe last night as Eshtiaal bolted-up in the Audi Ballina Handicap Hurdle, compensation following the defeat of both odds-on favourite Vercingetorix and Hostile Fire in the earlier Sheridan Electric 4-y-0 Hurdle.

Joint-favourite Waxies Dargle, ridden for Noel Meade by Paul Townend, ploughed through the softening ground to land the €50,000 Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle, feature on the opening day of Killarney’s May meeting.

Trainer Ted Walsh has been cleared of any wrongdoing and will face no penalty over the Foxrock case, the Turf Club has announced.

Chasing debutant Cara’s Oscar recovered from a blunder at the second last fence to land the Rockathon Returns To Fairyhouse September 5th Beginners Chase in Fairyhouse yesterday, giving jockey Robbie Power his 40th success of the season.

On an evening when Mikey Fogarty was concussed and sustained an injury to his right knee in a fall before being removed to nearby South Tipperary General Hospital, the Tom Taaffe-trained Gold Bullet landed the featured Suir Valley Chase in Clonmel.

Nicky Henderson has yet to decide on plans for Sprinter Sacre – nearly two weeks after he was pulled up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

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. 

Mags Mullins saddled her first Festival winner when Martello Tower came out top in a gruelling battle for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Trainer Eoin Griffin is keeping his fingers crossed Azorian has turned a corner after the highly-tried gelding gained an overdue success at Navan yesterday.

Sandra Hughes maintained a notable family tradition when saddling Sub Lieutenant, Barry Geraghty’s only ride of the day, to land the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle in Thurles yesterday.

It was a case of the best wine being kept until last in Punchestown yesterday as the Noel Meade-trained debutant Disko proved the undoubted star of the show when bolting-up in the bumper.

Roi Des Francs gave Willie Mullins a third successive win (and a fourth in five years) in the Grade 3 Surehaul Mercedes Benz Novice Hurdle in Clonmel yesterday, the centrepiece of another treble for the champion trainer.

The Eddie Harty-trained Dalmatia should prove tough to beat in the Kilsheelan Mares Maiden Hurdle on today’s rescheduled card in Clonmel.

Leopardstown yesterday is easy to describe. There’s never been an afternoon like it at the track, writes Pat Keane.

On a particularly sad day at Thurles racecourse yesterday, following the death of owner and manager Pierce Molony, the two miles and six plus maiden hurdle was won in impressive fashion by Ryansbrook.

Vautour assumed clear favouritism for the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham after getting his fencing career back on track with a facile success in the Leopardstown Killiney Novice Chase yesterday.

Lieutenant Colonel began a memorable day for Bryan Cooper when proving a very popular, and rather poignant, winner of the other Grade 1 on the card, the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

There was a sensational start at Thurles yesterday when the hitherto unbeaten in nine races, Un de Sceaux, fell at the third last in the Killinan Beginners Chase.

The Tullow Tank made an impressive return from a lengthy layoff as he claimed the Fairyhouse Membership 2015 On Sale Now Beginners Chase on his fencing bow at Fairyhouse yesterday.

Dual Grade One-winning hurdler The Tullow Tank makes his eagerly-anticipated debut over fences at Fairyhouse today.

Vics Canvas, who had never previously won over fences, broke his duck in style when running away with the Paddy Power Cork Grand National at Cork yesterday.

Cheltenham Festival winner Very Wood made a solid start to his career over fences with a workmanlike success at Galway yesterday.

Leading Irish owner Barry Connell has replaced Danny Mullins with Adrian Heskin as his retained jockey.

The Willie Mullins-trained Morning Run retained her unbeaten record when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Follow Tipperary Races On Facebook Mares Maiden Hurdle in Tipperary yesterday, sparking a double for trainer Willie Mullins.

"I didn’t think we would have many winners this week, he was our banker", said Pat Flynn, after his Gusty Rock had landed the Family Fun Afternoon Maiden Hurdle at the final stage of the Tramore festival yesterday.

Eye Of The Storm dug deep to strike gold for the first time this year in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

Rae’s Creek and Alton Bay, both winners on the level at the track last time, got off the mark in impressive style in the maiden hurdle action on last night’s card in Ballinrobe.

Tom Gibney, who won the 2012 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse with Lion Na Bearnai, was on the mark at Limerick yesterday when the consistent Circe’s Island landed the Follow Us On Twitter Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.

Cillian’s Return, bought out of Bill Farrell’s by J P McManus after taking a bumper at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, made a winning start for his new connections when easily taking the Michael Maher Building And Construction Services Maiden Hurdle at Tipperary last night.

The Joe Murphy-trained Daredevil Day defied a huge hike of 13lbs for winning at Sligo when arriving late and fast to land the Live The Dream With Tote Handicap at Killarney last night.

National Hunt racing is a notoriously tough game to make a name for oneself, but Gavin Sheehan has been doing just that.