World’s biggest bagpipe festival ready to tune up

BEEF To The Heels is the nap choice to leave a serious bout of seconditis behind by landing the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel this afternoon.

I’M one of the many thousands of Irish people who describe themselves as having been “born into” Fianna Fáil; there are now, however, very many (a majority, I fear) among our number who have long since desisted from ascending the mountain-tops to proclaim to all and sundry their political heritage.

Beef Or Salmon could race on following his unsuccessful attempt to defy top weight in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

BEEF Or Salmon could race on following his unsuccessful attempt to defy top weight in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National yesterday.

MICHAEL Hourigan believes Mossbank will be a different proposition next season.

Beef Or Salmon is set to tackle the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on March 24.

MICHAEL Hourigan has confirmed that Beef Or Salmon will not run in the John Smith’s Grand National and that retirement is on the cards for the 10-time Grade One winner.

Michael Hourigan has confirmed that Beef Or Salmon will not run in the John Smith’s Grand National and that retirement is on the cards for the 10-time Grade One winner.

Celebrities will mingle with punters at today’s Hennessy Gold Cup event in south Co Dublin.

THERE was no need for a steward’s inquiry in Ireland’s most award-winning winter hunt race yesterday.

Mossbank put up an impressive performance to give trainer Michael Hourigan his sixth victory in the Clonmel Oil Chase.

A FIGURE who knows Cheltenham and its personalities better than most is Sligoman, Terry McCann.

A touch of glamour is being added to the Hennessy Gold Cup race, it was disclosed today.

DES McDONOGH, himself an Irish Cheltenham hero with Monksfield in the Champion Hurdles of 1978 and 1979, is well aware of how fickle horse racing can be.

MICHAEL HOURIGAN insists Beef Or Salmon will still be a force to be reckoned with in the top staying chases this season, despite the disappointments of last year.

Mouse Morris’s War of Attrition completed a famous Festival double in the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown this afternoon.

Hi Cloy will tackle stablemate Beef Or Salmon when he steps up to three miles to bid for his fourth Group One prize of the season in the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown later this month.

Hi Cloy took his third Grade One prize of the season when leading home an Irish-trained one-two-three in the John Smith’s Melling Chase at Aintree.

Senior Irish National Hunt handicapper Noel O’Brien has opened the door to connections of Beef Or Salmon, Hedgehunter and Forget The Past, among others, following his calculation of the weights for the Irish Grand National.

His pride and joy may have failed in the race for the past three years but Michael Hourigan is hopeful Beef Or Salmon can make it fourth time lucky in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup tomorrow.

Conor O’Dwyer insists he would not swap War Of Attrition for any other runner in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

YOU couldn’t but compare the contrasting situations in which the rival coaches for Saturday’s Six Nations match at Twickenham found themselves at lunch time yesterday.

FISH and chips at ten in the morning and Guinness by 11. When racegoers at Cheltenham talk about the need for stamina, it isn’t the horses they’re thinking of.

Ante-post favourite Beef Or Salmon heads the 28 horses remaining in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday following the five-day declaration stage.

Some 5,000 Irish racing fans make an annual pilgrimage to the Cheltenham Festival in hope of teaching the home team a lesson or two.

IF Beef Or Salmon never wins another race, he will owe connections nothing.

BEEF OR SALMON has to do the business in style in tomorrow’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown if he is to retain his position at the head of Cheltenham’s Gold Cup market.

Michael Hourigan has revealed Beef Or Salmon to be in rude health after his third victory in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

Beef Or Salmon will face seven rivals as he attempts to become the first horse to complete back-to-back victories in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Wales Rally GB has been brought to a premature end following the death of Englishman Michael Park on stage 15.

FAIRYTALES are supposed to be the province of Hans Christian Andersen, but the Cheltenham Festival once again proved its ability yesterday to weave the most incredible stories together when Kicking King won the Gold Cup for Ireland.

BEEF OR SALMON heads 68 entries for Ireland’s richest jumps race, the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.

Bad knocks? David Casey knows all about the routine.

A decision as to who rides crack Irish chaser Beef Or Salmon in Sunday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup is expected in the next 48 hours.

THERE is a time in every sporting career when the hero gets overturned by the guy next in line, or the no-hoper or by the fairy story - and that happened to Best Mate at Leopardstown yesterday when he was beaten by Beef or Salmon.

Beef Or Salmon took Best Mate’s scalp with an impressive victory in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown today.

TAKE a chance on Beef Or Salmon creating a minor surprise by beating mighty Best Mate in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon.

JESSICA HARRINGTON will wait a few days before making a decision on Moscow Flyer’s participation in the King George at Kempton at Christmas.

BEEF OR SALMON looks set to clash with Best Mate in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Pat Keane

BEEF OR SALMON, following a minor hiccup in the Munster National at Limerick, can get his Gold Cup prospects back on track by landing the Grade One James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion ’Chase at Down Royal this afternoon.