Altior remains in the running to defend his crown in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

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

History has proven the Festival to be a ruthless environment where only the toughest, most talented survive. This week will be no different. Some hotpots will enhance already lofty reputations while, for others, the bubble will burst. As ever, the challenge is what to trust and what to oppose, writes Darren Norris makes his picks.

Nicky Henderson will do all he can to get Altior to the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase after revealing the brilliant two-miler was found to be lame on Sunday morning.

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.

Had events unfolded the way Nicky Henderson hoped at the start of the season Altior would not be running in the Grade Two Win Bigger On The Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury this afternoon.

Last week was the start of the new race times – there were a good few of them in the UK - and I think, for people who were viewing racing on the whole, it was a better experience.

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

Veganuary and Operation Transformation are not running this weekend, they are running all month or for even longer.

With the Christmas festival blitz in the rearview mirror, the focus now turns to a new decade and 2020 promises plenty. Here Darren Norris highlights 10 dates not to be missed

Stay on the good side of these 10 chasers in the months ahead.

Some say pleasure deferred is pleasure enhanced but that is very much not the case when it comes to Royal Ascot.

The whole of Ireland is basking in beautiful sunshine but I’m doing a rain dance. It’s getting warm and dry now, and Fairyhouse is drying up and Punchestown are pouring water on the course to beat the band. Let me be a spoilsport, I hope this weather breaks. I want it to rain.

Colm Greaves (Good Day/Bay Day

Good day

We drew a blank yesterday but most of the horses ran very well, writes Ruby Walsh.

Janika can carry top weight to victory in the Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase, the fifth race on day three of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

The Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle is today’s feature race and Paisley Park can crown a flawless campaign by landing the spoils for trainer Emma Lavelle and jockey Aidan Coleman.

With the rain that fell yesterday afternoon and all that is expected today, Sams Profile can reverse recent form over Battleoverdoyen when they renew rivalry in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

From Arkle v Mill House to Kauto Star v Denman to Native River v Might Bite, the Cheltenham Festival has produced some epic duels down the years. It’ll be no different this week and the three showdowns below certainly won’t be for the faint-hearted, says Darren Norris

Connections of Defi Du Seuil remain in no rush to map out a second-half-of-the-campaign programme for last season’s champion juvenile hurdler.

We’re delighted with the way Djakadam has been working recently, and think he is in great order, writes Ruby Walsh.

Djakadam can make it third time lucky in this afternoon’s Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the feature on the final day of what, until yesterday, had been a very difficult meeting for punters.

Welcome to the most exciting weekend of the National Hunt season this side of the Cheltenham Festival.