The talking is about to end and the meeting we have been waiting for since the start of the season,

Stan James Champion Hurdle

Willie Mullins’ winning machine may have an enviable record but he is still pigeon-holed as the Robbie Keane of racing.

Willie Mullins has left Un De Sceaux in the Stan James Champion Hurdle alongside Hurricane Fly.

Hurricane Fly will face a maximum 11 rivals in his bid for a third Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday after veteran Captain Cee Bee was added to the field.

The Tullow Tank will not run at the Cheltenham Festival due to the “uncertainty” surrounding trainer Philip Fenton’s ongoing case for alleged possession of anabolic steroids, said his owner Barry Connell.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy expects Last Instalment to be in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup shake-up following his Irish Hennessy win.

The handicapper, Noel O’Brien, was entitled to allow himself a little smile, following the running of the valuable boylesports.com Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown last Saturday.

Dessie Hughes is confident Our Conor will head to the Cheltenham Festival with a “fighting chance” of claiming Champion Hurdle glory after making Hurricane Fly pull out all the stops at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Trainer Eddie Harty is unsure where Captain Cee Bee will turn up next following the veteran’s excellent run in defeat in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly, who did a piece of work on the lead in to the race which was so bad that it shocked Willie Mullins, made no mistake to take a fourth successive Grade 1 BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Willie Mullins concedes Hurricane Fly faces a “hell of a test” in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Well, those who were of the opinion that most of the top horses in the country were housed in the one place, at Willie Mullins’, discovered it wasn’t quite as simple as that over the four days of the Leopardstown Christmas festival Mullins had a reasonably good meeting, winning six of the 28 races, but his dominance was nowhere near as pronounced as some might have anticipated.

Trainer Willie Mullins branded Hurricane Fly “a horse of a generation” after he claimed his 18th Grade One in a top-notch renewal of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Even by Ruby Walsh’s seriously high standards, this could only be described as an extraordinary ride.

Hurricane Fly won an extraordinary 18th Grade One race when superbly defending his title in a star-studded renewal of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Two of last season’s star novices could face off in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday with Jezki and Rule The World on course to meet.

Tony Martin dominated proceedings at Navan yesterday, with Flemenstar’s second successive Boylesports.com Fortria Chase triumph the highlight of a treble for the County Meath trainer.

Captain Cee Bee will try to defy his advancing years and defend his title in tomorrow’s Grade Two Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle.

Missunited could be set for a winter break after running another fantastic race in defeat at the Curragh on Sunday, with trainer Mick Winters looking forward to a possible clash with Quevega at Cheltenham in March.

Davy Russell makes a somewhat surprise return to the saddle at Cork this afternoon, having punctured a lung at Cheltenham a week ago.

Trainer Mick Winters is keeping his options open regarding whether to let Rebel Fitz line up in next month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Trainer Mick Winters is keeping his options open regarding whether to let Rebel Fitz line up in next month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Two former champion hurdlers are set to clash at Leopardstown on Sunday, with Hurricane Fly and Binocular amongst six remaining possible runners in the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly will face just four rivals as he aims to regain his crown in the Istabraq Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Hurricane Fly landed a twelfth Grade 1 success and crowned a great day for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh when winning the Dobbins & Madigans Morgiana Hurdle in Punchestown yesterday.

Tom Cooper believes Forpadydeplasterer could be the forgotten horse of Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Trainer Tom Hogan will weigh up the options for Gordon Lord Byron after his thrilling victory in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Sunday.

Veteran Captain Cee Bee turned over odds-on favourite Rebel Fitz in the Grade 3 Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle in Tipperary yesterday.

Rebel Fitz and Davy Russell denied Captain Cee Bee back-to-back wins in the Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle in Tipperary yesterday.

Henry de Bromhead reports Sizing Europe to be “bouncing” as he bids to end his season on a high in today’s Boylesports.com Champion Chase.

BACK to the scene of his narrow and controversial defeat by Captain Cee Bee in July, the Edward O’Grady trained The Real Article proved an impressive winner of the Grade 3 Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle at Tipperary yesterday.

Tomorrow’s high-class mixed card at Tipperary is subject to an inspection at 7.30am due to the threat of further overnight rain, the Turf Club has announced.

WHEN Moon Dice won his maiden hurdle at Limerick a year ago trainer, Paul Flynn, described him as the best he’d ever had.

FOLLOWING much soul-searching the logical conclusion to be drawn is that The Real Article is the most likely winner of this afternoon’s Guinness Galway Hurdle.

WHEN I walked out of Cork University Hospital exactly two weeks ago there was only one thing on my mind, the Galway Plate and Blazing Tempo.

EDWARD O’GRADY’S The Real Article is free to contest the Galway Hurdle on Thursday.

The Real Article will be allowed to take his place in Thursday's Guinness Galway Hurdle after the Irish Turf Club's Referrals Committee decided not to proceed with the inquiry into his controversial running at Tipperary.

REMEMBER a horse called Ballyronan Boy, who was nabbed by the Tipperary stewards in May of last year?

THE Turf Club announced yesterday that the Referrals Committee has been asked to review the failure of the stewards to impose a sanction, following the running of the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last Sunday.

TONY McCOY was “delighted” with the performance of Captain Cee Bee in Sunday’s Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary, according to his trainer Eddie Harty.

THE Tony McCoy-ridden Captain Cee Bee bagged the Kevin McManus Bookmakers Grimes Hurdle spoils at Tipperary yesterday, holding the tenderly-handled The Real Article by the minimum margin as both horses proved their well-being ahead of next week’s Galway Festival.

CAPTAIN Cee Bee is still likely to line up in the Galway Plate even if he wins tomorrow’s Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary.

DONALD McCAIN’S Overturn will have to defy a stone extra if the versatile performer is to repeat last year’s emphatic victory in the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle, the richest National Hunt race in Ireland this year, at Ballybrit on Thursday fortnight.