Daragh Ó Conchúir picks out three big races at Cheltenham which are set to thrill punters.

It’s frightening to think the illegal presence of some animal in a market in the province of Hubei, in a city most of us had never previously heard of and few will ever visit could have such a profound and deadly impact on the world.

The Festival has a long and storied history of producing compelling duels and, with the 2020 renewal rich in promise, Darren Norris picks six battles not to miss.

The brilliant Irish mares Honeysuckle and Benie Des Dieux are on course to clash at Cheltenham next week, after both were among confirmations for the Close Brothers Hurdle.

Willie Mullins is excited about the prospect of Al Boum Photo defending his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown three weeks tomorrow, and feels his charge has a “fantastic chance” of successfully doing so. Whilst he acknowledges history is against Joe Donnelly’s gelding, he doesn’t believe this year’s opposition is any tougher than the field he readily took care of in 2019.

NOTHING for it this week then, with Storm Ciara messing us about big-time, but to look ahead to the Cheltenham Festival in an effort to pinpoint some value.

Reigning champion Al Boum Photo is one of 20 horses still in contention for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup following the latest scratchings deadline for the six non-novice Grade Ones at next month’s Festival.

Darren Norris selects eight takeaways from the Dublin Racing Festival with a view towards Cheltenham.

PLEASE, please Willie run Benie Des Dieux in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and give us the battle that will light up the festival.

From Willie Mullins’ point of view, Allaho in the Beginners’ Chase and Jon Snow and The Big Getaway in the maiden hurdles are the key horses this weekend.

The National Hunt season that has just finished was a very strange one. At times it felt like the season would never get going as we waited and waited for the skies to open. For us in racing, they never really did, but hopefully for the flat season ahead they won’t open now.

This weekend’s national hunt action takes place tomorrow and Willie has five runners to look forward to. He starts with Breaken, a recruit from France, where he ran on the flat three times and once over hurdles.

Well sad little people duly emerged from their burrows to have a go from the safety of social media at Ruby Walsh, after Benie Des Dieux had fallen at the last in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Funny sort of week. Great week for Willie and a brilliant week for Paul Townend, but it was a funny week for me.

The day starts well. (Spoiler alert: it will not continue in this vein.)

Beware The Bear claimed top honours in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

If you’re determined to win green this week, stick with this trio, says our top tipster Tommy Lyons

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime...

At the 11th hour we switched Klassical Dream back to the Supreme and he’ll be my first ride of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. We had contemplated going up in trip with him after his win at the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown but with the ground slowing and looking at the opposition – Felix Desjy will more than likely make it a strongly-run race – we thought this would be the right race for him.

Hard to recall a Tuesday card at Cheltenham as difficult as today’s but Benie Des Dieux can be the punters’ pal on the opening day to the 2019 Festival by proving a class apart from her rivals in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.

The Unibet Champion Hurdle, the headline act on the opening day of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, pits a hat-trick-seeking champion against a superstar mare as well as a mare with superstar potential

He may be out on his own as the most successful jockey in Cheltenham Festival history but Ruby Walsh admits he still gets nervous ahead of the biggest week on the racing calendar.

For years the hardest place in the world to tip a winner was Cheltenham. For years the hardest place in the world to back a winner was Cheltenham.

Faugheen, Laurina and Benie Des Dieux are among a strong Willie Mullins entry for next month's baroneracing.com Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Ruby Walsh, who aggravated an old injury at last week’s Cheltenham Festival, has ruled out making a return in time for Aintree.

Ruby Walsh, who aggravated an old injury at last week’s Cheltenham Festival, has ruled out making a return in time for Aintree but remains hopeful he will back in the saddle for next month’s Punchestown festival.

Yesterday was a great day, a very emotional day, a day that I owe to a lot of people.