Al Boum up against it in bid to produce another picture-perfect moment, writes Darren Norris.

It’s frightening to think the illegal presence of some animal in a market in the province of Hubei, in a city most of us had never previously heard of and few will ever visit could have such a profound and deadly impact on the world.

What did we really expect leaving Cheltenham last year? When we looked at all the results, how did we think, 12 months down the line, those winners would fair back at the Festival?

Willie Mullins is excited about the prospect of Al Boum Photo defending his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown three weeks tomorrow, and feels his charge has a “fantastic chance” of successfully doing so. Whilst he acknowledges history is against Joe Donnelly’s gelding, he doesn’t believe this year’s opposition is any tougher than the field he readily took care of in 2019.

The 2019 Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown was a bit of a disaster, but last weekend’s two-day renewal emerged relatively unscathed on Sunday evening.

Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Al Boum Photo oozed class in making a winning reappearance in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore.

It’s been another stunning year for the Townends, with Paul reaching Gold Cup nirvana and Jody battling back bravely to the winner’s enclosure after overcoming a broken back. Though little sister won’t easily let big brother forget he missed her big moment in Galway

Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo is likely to follow the route that was so successful for him last season – and bid for another triumph in the Savills Chase at Tramore on his reappearance.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the philosophy Willie Mullins plans to adopt as he plots Al Boum Photo’s Cheltenham Gold Cup defence.

It was the sweetest of farewells.

The 39-year-old from Co Kildare made the announcement today after he won the Punchestown Gold Cup riding Kemboy

Al Boum Photo was given a hero’s welcome as the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup winner paraded through the village of Leighlinbridge on Monday evening.

It is interesting to contrast the influence last year’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown had on Cheltenham, compared to this year’s renewal.

One of the principle reasons that National Hunt racing is more popular than the flat is that you build relationships with horses that can sustain for years and this was proved again and again this week.

Forget about it. Erase it from your memory entirely. No need to ever mention it again. The monkey is off his back forever. After all the near-misses and the talk of the glaring omission from his CV, Willie Mullins has now won the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo and Paul Townend ensured so with an authoritative display in the feature on the final day of the 2019 Festival.

Al Boum Photo has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup after the 12/1 shot stormed home after an impressive ride by Paul Townend

We’re very light on runners this weekend but that’s not unusual for us so close to Cheltenham. Being just seven or eight days out from the Festival, we mightn’t be too busy at the tracks, but we’ll be flat out on the gallops.

It is the morning after the day before but Owen Byrne is out on the track, giving the place the once over.

Latest: "I wish to apologise to connections and to punters."

Willie Mullins completed a clean-sweep in the three Grade Two events in Fairyhouse yesterday, scoring with Ballycasey, Bleu Berry and Al Boum Photo.