Douvan is “not far away” from returning to action after being entered in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.

Extending Cheltenham to four days has seriously diluted what’s on offer and it is very much illustrated by this afternoon’s Racing Post Arkle Trophy.

There are just three and a half weeks to go to the Cheltenham Festival and all the horses are in full work, writes Ruby Walsh. 

Mark Walsh is rapidly developing into one of the unsung heroes of Irish National Hunt racing.

In-form Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins signed off for 2016 with a double at Punchestown to make it a remarkable 24 winners since St Stephen's Day.

Much as I would love to ride Douvan in the Hilly Way Chase in Cork tomorrow, I can’t be in two places at once, and so I’ll be in Punchestown to ride Djakadam in the John Durkan Memorial. It’s a Grade 1 race, the biggest race of the day, and that’s the reason I’m going there.

The National Hunt season is hitting full stride now, and thus this is a good weekend for us to begin to unwrap some of our best young horses of last season.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins won the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle for the fourth time in five years when Bellshill, ridden by Ruby Walsh, proved an impressive twelve lengths winner of yesterday’s feature in Navan.

Point-To-Point