Willie Mullins is excited about the prospect of Al Boum Photo defending his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown three weeks tomorrow, and feels his charge has a “fantastic chance” of successfully doing so. Whilst he acknowledges history is against Joe Donnelly’s gelding, he doesn’t believe this year’s opposition is any tougher than the field he readily took care of in 2019.

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

Tiger Roll is on target to run in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on February 16, after resuming full work following his setback.

Willie Mullins has had many great days in racing but, as he debriefed the media in a packed winner’s enclosure, it was hard to escape the sense that few meant quite as much to Ireland’s champion trainer as Faugheen’s epic victory in the Flogas Novice Chase on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival.

Delta Work, Kemboy and Presenting Percy remain on course to renew rivalry at Leopardstown on Sunday, after all three stood their ground for the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.

What What did we learn from the Christmas racing period? Lots we already knew, and a few things that we should have known.

Sometimes you have to go through hard times to truly appreciate good ones. Just ask Jack Kennedy.

You don’t have to be any sort of genius to now know Notebook is a very good horse.

Nine times victorious at the top level over the smaller obstacles, the 2015 Champion Hurdle hero showed he was still a formidable force – just days short of turning 12 years old – to lower the colours of another star name in Samcro.

There’s a brilliant day’s racing to look forward to, with quality racing spread across the 10 meetings which are scheduled to take place in Ireland and Britain.

Superb racing in Limerick and Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day as their respective four-day festivals get underway, and there is also a good card in Down Royal.

New figures show that Mespil Road remains the top blackspot for illegal parking on the streets of the capital.

Ruby Walsh’s sister Katie reflects on the "unbelievable highs and lows" of her brother’s racing career.

After 24 very good years, yesterday I bowed out after winning the Punchestown Gold Cup on Kemboy.

This weekend’s national hunt action takes place tomorrow and Willie has five runners to look forward to. He starts with Breaken, a recruit from France, where he ran on the flat three times and once over hurdles.

Colm Greaves (Good Day/Bay Day

Good day

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.

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

On a card that offers little cause for optimism at Cheltenham this afternoon, Faugheen is fancied to turn back the clock and land the Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle.

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.

Can Altior be beaten?

He may be out on his own as the most successful jockey in Cheltenham Festival history but Ruby Walsh admits he still gets nervous ahead of the biggest week on the racing calendar.

It would be quite a stretch to suggest Buveur D’air’s eclipse in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton opened the door for would-be takers of his Champion Hurdle crown, but Samcro all but stepped out of the running for that distinction with another disappointing display, this time behind Sharjah in the Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle on Saturday afternoon in Leopardstown.

Samcro's participation in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday was described by trainer Gordon Elliott as "50-50'' on Saturday afternoon.

Faugheen, Laurina and Benie Des Dieux are among a strong Willie Mullins entry for next month's baroneracing.com Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Faugheen returned to his majestic best with an impressive all-the-way win in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown.

After a seemingly endless spell of testing ground, the weather has finally changed and the forecast for next week is for mainly dry weather, with the odd shower of rain, writes Ruby Walsh.

The admirable Un De Sceaux can run the opposition ragged in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham this afternoon, writes Pat Keane. 

Yesterday was a great day, a very emotional day, a day that I owe to a lot of people.

There are plenty still holding out hope that Faugheen will reproduce his machine days once more in today’s Champion Hurdle, despite his most recent lacklustre efforts at Leopardstown.

It’s hard to believe three years have already flown by since AP McCoy powered Uxizandre to an emotional victory in the Ryanair Chase in his final Cheltenham Festival as a jockey.

Bookmakers were last night running scared of the fit-again Ruby Walsh ahead of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ruby Walsh may not be worried... yet...

The Willie Mullins-trained stars are expected to feature in the Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle respectively.

The real Trials Days take place at Leopardstown and you can bet the tank it will produce a share of Cheltenham winners, writes Pat Keane

Willie Mullins has issued an upbeat report on Faugheen ahead of his intended appearance in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday week.

Leopardstown’s Christmas festival had everything, both from Willie Mullins’ point of view, and from the racecourse point of view, writes Ruby Walsh.

In 1999 Westlife were No. 1 at Christmas, Bobbyjo won the National, Meath were All-Ireland football champions, and I spent Christmas with my right leg in a cast, writes Ruby Walsh.

Willie sends Melon to Cheltenham for the International Hurdle and the first thing to acknowledge is that he is not well treated on ratings.

Ruby Walsh was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg following a fall from Let's Dance at Punchestown.