CHAMPION HURDLE winner Punjabi heads 25 entries for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 28 as he bids to repeat last year’s victory.

Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi heads 25 entries for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 28 as he bids to repeat last year’s victory.

THERE are 15 contests between Bellewstown and Wexford tonight and the discerning punter will certainly give the vast majority of them the proverbial swerve.

Al Eile will try to emulate Morley Street when he bids to win the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle for a fourth time on Saturday.

BETWEEN now and Saturday the question which is going to be on just about everyone’s lips is “what’s going to win the National?’

Al Eile is on course to bid for a remarkable fourth victory in the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle on Saturday.

John Queally reports Al Eile to be fighting fit after his impressive victory on the all-weather at Dundalk on Friday night.

Triple Aintree Hurdle winner Al Eile returns from a lengthy absence at Dundalk tomorrow night.

Michael O’Brien’s smart hurdler Essex is set to make his return from a near two-year absence at either Dundalk or Leopardstown later this week.

Sizing Europe has suffered a slight setback which has put in jeopardy his participation in Monday’s Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle.

Al Eile will not take up his engagement in the Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh on Saturday.

YEATS and Septimus lead a strong challenge for Aidan O’Brien as he bids for yet another Group One victory in Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh.

Yeats and Septimus lead a strong challenge for Aidan O’Brien as he bids for yet another Group One victory in Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh.

SMART Irish sprinter Haatef will miss the rest of the season after suffering a fracture.

Irish Champion Hurdle winner Sizing Europe is set for another winter over timber with connections having virtually ruled out a novice chase campaign.

HARCHIBALD to come right back to his best form and land the nap is the prediction in this afternoon’s ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

TWIST MAGIC, so disappointing at Cheltenham, came back to something approaching his best when landing the Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Timmy Murphy was overcome with emotion after Comply Or Die ensured his topsy-turvy career hit an all-time high in Saturday’s Grand National.

Al Eile produced another fine Liverpool performance to land his third Scottish and Newcastle Pub Enterprises Aintree Hurdle.

LOGIC dictates that Sizing Europe has to be the selection to land the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham this afternoon.

There were no major surprises among the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle defectors as Sizing Europe, Osana and reigning title-holder Sublimity all appeared among the five-day confirmations.

EASILY the most interesting contest at Dundalk tonight is the Hanratty Oils Race, which will see two high-class timber-toppers, Harchibald and Al Eile, in action.

JAZZ Messenger will head straight to Cheltenham for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pleasing Noel Meade when second at Gowran on Saturday.

Jazz Messenger will head straight to Cheltenham for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pleasing Noel Meade when second at Gowran on Saturday.

I’VE spent the last few days literally kicking my backside, ever since Sizing Europe won Sunday’s AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Sizing Europe soared to the head of the betting for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle as he left dual winner of the blue riband Hardy Eustace trailing in his wake at Leopardstown.

SIZING EUROPE, regarded as very much a future chaser and marking time over flights, one suspected, jumped to the head of the Champion Hurdle betting with a stunning display in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Sizing Europe put up a mighty performance to win the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

HARDY EUSTACE, the highest rated and oldest horse in the contest, is the hopeful choice to land the Grade 1 AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Henry de Bromhead feels he has stable star Sizing Europe as ready as possible for his first major test in Sunday’s AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

SUBLIMITY will miss the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle because of the prospect of testing conditions at Leopardstown on Sunday.

PADDY POWER and Cashmans have both promoted Sizing Europe to favouritism for Sunday’s AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, after yesterday’s forfeit and supplementary stage.

MERCHENT PADDY can give us a big run in the Pierse Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow, assuming the meeting passes a 7.30 inspection in the morning.

Timmy Murphy believes recent December Festival Hurdle winner Al Eile is a better horse at Aintree than at Cheltenham – but admits the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle looks an open race this year.

Following a rollercoaster ride of a week in which Gold Cup-bound pair Kauto Star and Denman both did the business, the weekend action took something of a back seat.

Reigning title holder Sublimity and the mercurial Harchibald are very much still among the horses to beat in the Champion Hurdle come Cheltenham in March, according to Tony McCoy.

Sweet Kiln will face eight rivals as she bids to continue the Bowe family's amazing record in Sunday's Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

John Queally believes favourable ground at Newcastle will help Al Eile handle a step back in trip on Saturday.

Lucifer Bleu looks the best bet on an intriguing midweek Kempton card when he tackles the Nigel Clark Totesport Tribute Handicap Hurdle.

PHILIP Hobbs is hoping lightning can strike twice as he sends out Fair Along in Saturday’s totesport.com Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Al Eile is to have a break and will not run at York next week where he had a choice of engagements.

THREE-YEAR-OLDS dictate the betting for the totesport Ebor following the publication of the weights yesterday.

Three-year-olds dictate the betting for the totesport Ebor following the publication of the weights today.

JOHN QUEALLY is hoping Al Eile is over his hard race in the Northumberland Plate when he reverts to hurdles at Tipperary tomorrow.