I PROBABLY love flat racing more than most, but you have got to say it is terrific to see the National Hunt game now getting into full swing.

MOUSE MORRIS is far from despondent after seeing his star performer First Lieutenant suffer an odds-on reverse at Cork on Sunday.

THE talented Michael Winters trained Rebel Fitz lit up Cork yesterday with a fine display of front-running to land the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle.

First Lieutenant suffered a shock odds-on reverse to De Valira in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase at Cork.

ST. DEVOTE, under a strong ride from Barry Geraghty, proved best in the Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon yesterday.

DE VALIRA is the nap choice in a fascinating Grade 3 Kilbegnet EBF Novice Chase at Roscommon this afternoon.

THE featured Guinness Handicap Hurdle at Listowel yesterday saw Princeton Plains give trainer Eddie Harty a first winner at the track.

THERE was no dream return to racing for Ruby Walsh when his only mount of the afternoon, Salute Him, trailed in fourth of four behind Plan A in the Kerrymaid Hurdle at the opening stage of the Listowel festival yesterday.

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.

IF Aidan O’Brien can get St Nicholas Abbey to win the Epsom Derby on June 4 then he can surely be mentioned in the same breath as Merlin - and we all know what his profession was.

PUNTERS who backed De Valira in the mile and six conditions race at Tipperary last night had every reason to feel aggrieved.

AVAILING of a window in his thirty-day ban, Paul Carberry guided Oscar Looby to victory in the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chase at Naas yesterday.

LUSKA LAD remains the nap choice in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Irish Racing Writers’ Novice Hurdle at Naas today, a meeting recheduled from last Saturday.

FINALLY, we look set to see some action, with Naas the focus of attention this afternoon.

Noel Meade is keeping his fingers crossed that Muirhead can show his true colours in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas tomorrow.

Hurricane Fly and Solwhit feature among a final field of just four runners in the Dobbins & Madigans at Punchestown Hurdle on Sunday.

Hurricane Fly and Solwhit feature among a high-class list of nine horses left in the Dobbins And Madigans At Punchestown Hurdle on Sunday.

THE talking has finally finished and now it is time for action.

DE VALIRA, the medium of an ante-post gamble, will miss tomorrow’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the opening stage of the Cheltenham Festival.

Sizing Europe and defending champion Sublimity are among 17 declarations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.

Ruby Walsh will ride De Valira in Tuesday’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

IF I live to be a hundred, I don’t think I will ever quite get my head around the phenomenon known as Cheltenham.

HENRY DE BROMHEAD is set to hand Sizing Europe an imminent away-day as he plots a path to Cheltenham for a tilt at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

De Valira remains on target for a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pleasing trainer Michael O’Brien with his comeback effort at the weekend.

THAT was a stunning performance by Glencove Marina at Leopardstown on Sunday and, though it’s a well-worn cliche, the sky really is the limit for Willie Mullins’ six-year-old.

De Valira is to be given an opportunity to book his ticket for Cheltenham in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on February 16.

Clopf justified favouritism in the vcbet.com Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday, but had to work ever so hard under Barry Geraghty to land the wagers, writes Pat Keane.

AMARETTO ROSE’S main obstacle ahead of the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle could be her lack of match practice, according to handler Nicky Henderson.

2.00 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 2 miles ½f: A STRONG Irish challenge headed by De Valira, who reportedly sparkled in his latest piece of work, Hide The Evidence and Wins Now.

Nicky Henderson’s Amaretto Rose will face 21 rivals in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Andrew McNamara is looking forward to the Cheltenham Festival after securing his best ever book of rides for the meeting.

The was a huge shock at Fairyhouse when 1-4 favourite Sweet Kiln was turned over by Derravarra Eagle (14-1).

THE dropped-in-class Holly Tree is the choice to win the Irish National Hunt Festival Novice Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

Nickname produced another stylish display in the Byrne Group plc Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown and has the bookmakers on the run ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

De Valira had his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hopes dented when he could only finish second behind Orbit O’Gold in the Byrne Group plc Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

JOHN MURPHY is set to take the wraps off Cheltenham hero Newmill in the Grade 2 Byrne Group Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.

LOUNAOS, 5-1 favourite with Paddy Power for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, is likely to head to Cheltenham without another run.

Perce Rock, runner-up to Silverburn in the Tolworth Hurdle, is set to tackle Sunday’s Byrne Group Plc Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

FORGET The Past, who is being targeted at the Aintree Grand National, has to be the choice to land the Grade 2 MacLochlainn Road Markings Ltd Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles this afternoon.

THE progressive Niall Madden-trained Wins Now can land the McCarthy Insurance Group Hurdle at Cork this afternoon.

IF some of us are to learn one lesson from the four-day Leopardstown extravaganza it is that we must never, ever, underestimate Brave Inca again.

Michael O’Brien thinks it will take “a good horse” to beat his Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle fancy De Valira at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

HEAVY rain overnight, and again through the morning, saw the chase track prove unraceable at the concluding stage of the Leopardstown four-day Chistmas Festival yesterday.

TONY MCCOY heads for Newbury this afternoon and so misses teaming up with Brave Inca in the bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle.