Beef Or Salmon heads the weights for the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National after Michael Hourigan declared his 10-time Grade One winner for Monday’s marathon.

Ballistraw will attempt to prove there was no fluke about his recent 33-1 win in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.

THURLES this afternoon houses what can be best described as a proper eight-race National Hunt programme, delightfully only one of them a handicap.

KICKING KING, with positive noises emerging from Tom Taaffe regarding his well-being, has to get the nod to land the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon.

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.

Kicking King has breathed new life into the Cheltenham Gold Cup market with his sparkling return to action at Gowran Park following a 759-day layoff.

THE €100,000 Ellen Construction Thyestes Chase is the feature at Gowran Park today, but for the thousands set to flock to the track and those watching on television, assuming the meeting passes an 8am inspection this morning, the real attraction will be the return to action of former Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Kicking King, in the Normans Grove Chase.

PUNTERS were left gasping for breath after 16-1 shot Gaspar, the outsider of the five runners, trounced his rivals in the Grade 3 Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase at a bitingly cold Thurles yesterday.

THE progressive Siegemaster is fancied to continue Davy Russell’s terrific run in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.

WILLIE Mullins ended 2007 on a high when, in addition to winning with O’Hana at Tramore, he saddled Snowy Morning and C’est Ca to triumph at Punchestown yesterday.

WILLIE MULLINS’ Our Ben got back on the winning trail when outstaying long-absent Afistfullofdollars in the Glen Chase at Thurles yesterday.

Saturday's racing tips

PAUL NICHOLLS’ Taranis has to be the choice to land the Grade 1 James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal this afternoon.

DON’T know about you, but here’s one who was greatly disappointed with Kauto Star at Aintree on Sunday.

Taranis and The Listener could run in Saturday’s James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Former Champion Chase hero Moscow Flyer got the biggest cheer of the day when bounding to victory on his return to the racecourse in the 18th running of the Diageo Ireland Punchestown Charity Sweepstakes today.

THERE’S absolutely no cause for optimism at Thurles this afternoon, on an eight-race programme which is just about as moderate as you can get.

ARAN CONCERTO will travel to Cheltenham next month with all guns blazing, following a smooth success in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Aran Concerto could be heading to Cheltenham with the tag of “Irish Banker” around his neck after an effortless success in the Grade One Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

JESSICA Harrington's Mercuric is the nap choice to land the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Beginners' Chase on what looks a difficult programme to solve at Thurles this afternoon.

SOLE English challenger Kitski is a hopeful choice to win the Ellen Construction Thyestes Handicap ’Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon.

JUDGE DEED is a confident nap choice to deal with 24 rivals in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Maiden Hurdle at Naas this afternoon.

WELL MOUNTED is a sporting nap choice to land the 30-runner Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

TONY MCCOY heads for Newbury this afternoon and so misses teaming up with Brave Inca in the bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle.

ARTHUR MOORE’S King Johns Castle has been installed as the clear 11-4 favourite with Cashmans for today’s rescheduled Ballymore Properties Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.

A competitive field of 11 runners at Fairyhouse will go to post for the Ballymore Properties Drinmore Novice Chase, headed by Paul Stafford’s Blueberry Boy.

JESSICA Harrington's Merveilles rates a safe wager in the Cahir three-year-old Maiden Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.

Merdeka faces the acid test as he steps up to Grade Two company for the first time in Sunday’s Woodlands Park 100 Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas.

Willie Mullins is hoping for a good run from Alexander Taipan in the Bet@Bluesquare.com Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

MUST confess to mild surprise that Brave Inca wasn’t promoted to outright favouritism for the Champion Hurdle, following that performance at Punchestown on Sunday.

JUSTIFIED is fancied to get the better of a fascinating head-to-head with Wild Passion in the Volkswagen Jetta Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.

The Bagenalstown, Co Carlow base of Willie Mullins hosted Aintree Grand National sponsors John Smith’s annual stable visit yesterday. Pat Keane was there.