Seven chases form a tricky card at Sligo, where the nap goes to Sea Beat in the two-mile-five-furlong beginners’ chase.

Lombardstown, Co Cork, trainer Eugene O’Sullivan took the featured Pat Woodbyrne Memorial Handicap Chase on the first day of Tramore’s August festival, when A Decent Excuse bounced back to form to post an impressive success.

The in foal Oceania Queen, trained by Pat Martin for his mother-in-law Nuala Brennan, captured the €22,500 Vaughanshoes.ie European Breeders Fund Fillies Handicap, feature of last night’s action in Ballinrobe.

The Dermot Weld-trained Kaleefa earned a valuable winning bracket when justifying 5/6 favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Maiden in Roscommon last night.

Alberta will be strongly-fancied to land today’s Downpatrick bumper, the Posh Nosh Flat Race, for Gordon Elliott and Nina Carberry.

McKinley, shock winner of a Grade One novice event at Naas on Sunday, has been given 11st 2lb in the BoyleSports Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 18.

Plunge horse Activial is among a final field of 19 for tomorrow’s feature handicap at Ascot, The Ladbroke.

Garde La Victoire has been left with top weight following the five-day confirmations for The Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday, in which a number of contenders have come in for support.

Noel Meade is considering a tilt at The Ladbroke at Ascot for recent Fairyhouse scorer Waxies Dargle.

Home Farm, formerly trained by Arthur Moore, made a winning start for Henry de Bromhead when taking the Listed John Meagher Memorial Chase at Thurles yesterday.

Fever Pitch, trained by Arthur Moore for JP McManus, won the fifth race of his life when taking the Wilderness Rated Chase at Clonmel yesterday.

Fever Pitch is the nap choice in the Wilderness Rated Chase at Clonmel this afternoon.

Aidan O’Brien’s once-raced Royal Navy Ship is hard enough to oppose in the featured Group 3 Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown this afternoon.

Tammys Hill, having a first outing since winning the Foxhunters at the Cheltenham festival in March, landed the Christmas Party Package Handicap Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

Gentleman Duke, trained for JP McManus by Arthur Moore, landed the inaugural running of the John Mulhern Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ballinrobe’s final meeting of 2014.

John Hanlon believes Usuel Smurfer has plenty going for him in the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel today.

Jonathan Burke made the perfect start in his new role as Alan and Ann Potts’ retained jockey when partnering the Henry de Bromhead-trained Loosen My Load to a convincing win in the Ryans Cleaning Chase in Galway yesterday.

Versatile veteran Fosters Cross proved, again, that he retains plenty of his ability when landing the featured Donal Downes Water Towers Chase in Ballinrobe last night.

The John Oxx-trained Rayna and in-form apprentice Gary Halpin continued on their winning ways when landing the €25,000 Connacht Oaks in Sligo last night.

Four-year-old Indian Icon, winner of his maiden hurdle in Killarney last month, captured the featured Carmel Fay Memorial Handicap Hurdle in Kilbeggan last night under a well-judged ride by Mark Enright.

Leopardstown report

Liam Lennon has his fingers firmly crossed Tammys Hill can transfer his smart hunter chase form to the open ranks when his stable star goes for glory in the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.

Paul Webber is ready to let Cantlow carry what could be top-weight in the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Pass The Hat threw his cap into the ring for the Irish Grand National when holding the challenge of Kylecrue to capture the Carrickmines Handicap Chase at Leopardstown yesterday.

White Star Line, Planet Of Sound and Merry King are three of the 15 horses to have been taken out of the Crabbie’s Grand National at the latest forfeit stage.

Bryan Cooper’s decision to partner Gigginstown House Stud’s Trifolium, in preference to Mozoltov, reaped a rich dividend in the Grade 1 Frank Ward Solicitors’ Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown yesterday.

Long odds-on favourite Briar Hill brushed aside the challenge of sole rival Azorian to land the Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle in Navan yesterday.

Trainer Paul Nolan is unsure what to expect from Noble Prince as he prepares to return to the scene of his greatest triumph for Saturday’s Stewart Family Thank You Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Ruby Walsh made his way to Thurles yesterday for just one ride, Noble Prince, in the featured John Meagher Memorial Chase and it duly obliged.

The progressive Double Seven, trained by Martin Brassil for J P McManus, completed a spectacular four-timer with a superb display in the Ladbrokes’ Munster National at Limerick yesterday.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Indian Maharaja confirmed the promise of his impressive debut success at Gowran Park when justifying 30/100 favouritism in the listed Coolmore Canford Cliffs 2-Y-0 Stakes in Tipperary last night.

Indevan justified long odds-on favouritism in the Martin Reilly BMW Dealer Novice Hurdle to spark a double for champion trainer Willie Mullins in Sligo last night.

One of the things that has long intrigued me about off-course bookmakers is their ability to put a morning price to every horse running in Britain and Ireland every day.

Green Dragon, making a quick reappearance after running on the flat at the Curragh last Saturday, can land the Anglo Printers’ Novice Hurdle at Bellewstown this evening.

Nina Carberry, one of Ireland’s leading amateur riders, could have her first runner as a trainer at Gowran Park on Saturday with Peak Raider.

The Willie Mullins-trained Mozoltov booked his ticket to Cheltenham when getting the better of favourite Don Cossack in a tremendous tussle for the Grade 2 Racing UK Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.

Much interest at Downpatrick today, should the meeting survive an 8.00am inspection, will centre on Patrick Mullins.

On a day which promised so much, Patrick Mullins salvaged a single win from his four rides in Gowran Park yesterday as he closes in on Billy Parkinson’s record, set in 1915, for the number of winners ridden by an amateur in a calendar year.

Willie Mullins’ Cadspeed, having his first run since May and backed from 6-1 to 9-2, was a desperately unlucky loser of the Kilsheeelan Beginners’ Chase at Clonmel yesterday.

On a day when the Willie Mullins-trained Twinlight proved best in the featured, Grade 3 Faber Audiovisuals Novice Chase, Davy Russell deservedly earned the plaudits in Galway yesterday thanks to a spectacular treble on Rogue Angel, Shrapnel and Lastoftheleaders in the first three races.

It was an evening to remember for former champion apprentice Emmet McNamara and champion-elect Ronan Whelan in Down Royal yesterday, where a double for Shane Foley brought his seasonal tally to 50.

The Mullinahone Maiden at Clonmel last night saw Aidan O’Brien’s Hail finally get off the mark, but the contest was more notable for a nasty incident at the two-furlong pole in which jockey Fran Berry suffered numerous injuries.