Ted Walsh’s Bob Justice and the Dermot Weld-trained Mutakarrim head the weights for the Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 11.

Ruby Walsh took Aintree by storm with a sparkling 681-1 treble in the first three races on Martell Cognac Grand National day with one trainer hailing the jockey as the “best thing to come out of Ireland since Guinness”.

Ruby Walsh started Grand National day in the best possible fashion when he gave Risky Reef (20-1) a lovely ride to take the opening Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle at Aintree.

Trainer Richard Fahey and his stable jockey Paul Hanagan lost out for the second time in a week in controversial circumstances when Inch Perfect’s two-length defeat at the hands of Mr Gisby was confirmed following a lengthy stewards’ inquiry at Southwell.

Royston Ffrench earned the plaudits after demonstrating his fine judge of pace when making all the running on the Richard Fahey-trained Altay in the Cherry Burton Stakes at Beverley.