Beef Or Salmon proved he is still one of the best in the business when lowering the colours of War Of Attrition in a thrilling renewal of the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal today.

Beef Or Salmon defeated War Of Attrition in a thrilling renewal of the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition will face a maximum of seven rivals if he takes his chance in Saturday’s James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Rule Supreme pulled off a surprise victory in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown as he shocked odds-on favourite Beef Or Salmon.

Michael Hourigan's Beef Or Salmon is odds-on to boost his totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup prospects with victory at Leopardstown on Sunday.

David Casey will be be in the saddle by the end of the week as he prepares to partner Rule Supreme in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

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.

Strong Flow is a surprise entrant for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday week.

Trainer Charlie Swan will launch a three-pronged attack on Thursday’s Goulding Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park with Lincam, Over The First and This Is Serious all set to take their chance.

Trainer Michael O’Brien is eyeing a big-race double with Essex after the five-year-old justified favouritism in the Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

Barry Geraghty was once again the star of the show at Leopardstown today as he took the two most valuable races of the afternoon courtesy of Essex and Newmill.

BEST MATE will face a maximum of seven rivals when he bids for back-to-back victories in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown next Tuesday.

MOSCOW FLYER appears to have scared off most of his rivals as he faces a maximum of five challengers in the Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase at Leopardstown next Monday.

Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Sir Rembrandt will face six rivals in tomorrow’s Tommy Whittle Chase as he continues his build-up to another crack at chasing’s blue riband event next March.

LAST YEAR’S winner Keen Leader heads the 13 entries for the £60,000 Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park this weekend.

DUSTY SHEEHY, who watched in horror at Clonmel a week earlier as his clear leader Kahuna fell at the final fence, left the Tipperary track in far better form last night, after the trainer’s Rathgar Beau landed the valuable Clonmel Oil ’Chase.

Rathgar Beau got off the mark for the season when collaring Cloudy Bays late on to take the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel this afternoon.

THIRTEEN horses remain in Saturday’s eagerly awaited James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal, following yesterday’s supplementary and forfeit stage.

KICKING KING made a perfect start to his season by claiming the Grade Two National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran Park yesterday.

Kicking King made a perfect start to his season by claiming the Grade Two National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran today.

HIGH PRIESTESS, who goes up 14lbs in future handicaps, toyed with the opposition on the way to landing the Guinness Gold Cup at Tralee yesterday.

A record number of entries have been made for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival next week.

BY any standards, Florida Pearl’s victory in yesterday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown was an extraordinary performance.

Veteran chaser Florida Pearl heads a field of seven for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

EIGHT horses remain in Sunday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown, headed by last year’s winner, Beef Or Salmon.

Keen Leader, seen by many as the main danger to Best Mate recording an historic third success in chasing’s blue riband at Cheltenham in March, has been installed a hot favourite for the Hennessy Gold Cup on Sunday week.

Connections of Be My Belle are confident of a bold show from the mare as she goes in search of back-to-back victories in the Goulding Thyestes Handicap Chase tomorrow.

CHARLES BYRNES had a day he will never forget when taking the honours with a big-race double in the space of 30 minutes at Leopardstown yesterday.

Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes took the honours with a big-race double at Leopardstown today.

THE state of the surface was the main talking point at yesterday’s Anglo Irish Bank Handicap Chase meeting at Limerick.

JOHN OXX introduced an imposing newcomer in Alamshar, owned by the Aga Khan, to land the Harvest Festival EBF Maiden at Listowel yesterday.