There are 14 top-class chasers remaining in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Monday.

Noel Meade is set to rely upon likely outsider Texas Jack in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase on Sunday after the trainer confirmed Road To Riches and Apache Stronghold will miss the Grade One.

First Lieutenant could now head for the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting following his fine effort in the Hennessy Gold Cup on Saturday.

Paul Nicholls believes Hennessy Gold Cup favourite Saphir Du Rheu can defy the burden of top weight at Newbury today.

AP McCoy is likely to be more sought-after than ever as he unexpectedly became available for a ride in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the final day of the jumps season.

Mouse Morris is increasingly confident First Lieutenant will give Nina Carberry a “great ride” in the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

Colm Greaves takes a look at the fourth day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Runaway November Handicap winner Open Eagle is set to embark upon a career over hurdles this winter after joining Willie Mullins.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins feels today’s WKD Hurdle at Down Royal is the hottest run so far this season.

Gordon Lord Byron will be prepared for a trip to Hong Kong in December after a potential Breeders’ Cup mission failed to materialise.

Ruby Walsh’s grim determination to get back from injury to ride at the Punchestown festival reaped a massive dividend when he drove Boston Bob to win the biggest prize of the week, the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Gold Cup yesterday.

Nicky Henderson has pinpointed Silviniaco Conti and Last Instalment as dangers to Bobs Worth when his star bids to retain his Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup crown next month.

The prospect of testing conditions is a concern for trainer Mouse Morris as the admirable First Lieutenant looks to secure a deserved return to the winner’s enclosure in tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Bryan Cooper believes First Lieutenant will be the one to beat if he runs in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 9.

Well, those who were of the opinion that most of the top horses in the country were housed in the one place, at Willie Mullins’, discovered it wasn’t quite as simple as that over the four days of the Leopardstown Christmas festival Mullins had a reasonably good meeting, winning six of the 28 races, but his dominance was nowhere near as pronounced as some might have anticipated.

Bobs Worth bounced back from a disappointing seasonal reappearance to land the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

There are three admirable horses a lot of punters will not want to touch with a forty foot pole the next time they appear, namely Sizing Europe, First Lieutenant and Long Run.

Sizing Europe and First Lieutenant are among a classy entry of nine for the JNwine.com Champion chase at Down Royal on Saturday.

The JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal next month is the likely next port of call for First Lieutenant after he was beaten on his seasonal reappearance at Punchestown last week.

Toner D’Oudairies upstaged fellow Gigginstown-owned performers Roi Do Mee and First Lieutenant in the Grade 3 Star Chase in Punchestown yesterday.

Willie Mullins Cheltenham Gold Cup dream is alive and kicking, following the game success of Sir Des Champs in the Bet Online With The Tote.com Gold Cup at Punchestown last night.

I think today is my weakest book of rides of the week and will be delighted to get among the winners.

Mouse Morris was elated after First Lieutenant provided him with a birthday winner in the Betfred Bowl on the first day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree.

Mouse Morris expects the step back up in trip to suit First Lieutenant in the Betfred Bowl at Aintree tomorrow.

An unmistakable air of sobriety descended on the Cheltenham Festival towards the end of ‘St Patrick’s Thursday’ when news emerged that amateur jockey JT McNamara was airlifted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol after suffering a serious injury.

It’s not St Patrick’s Day until Sunday, of course, but that didn’t stop Cheltenham splashing the place green for ‘St Patrick’s Thursday’, and, fittingly, the Irish ran riot with a host of successes.

Cue Card, trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Joe Tizzard, won the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mouse Morris insists it is “50-50” whether First Lieutenant contests the Ryanair Chase or the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup at next week’s Festival.

My main reason for going to Doncaster this afternoon is to ride Join Together in a three and a quarter mile handicap chase.

Trainer Mouse Morris would prefer to run First Lieutenant in the Betfred Gold Cup rather than the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham next month.

It was billed as a day of destiny and so it proved.

Whoever had the foresight to name Rule The World must, at least secretly, be congratulating themselves.

You simply run out of superlatives when it comes to the riding of Ruby Walsh.

Mouse Morris is set to saddle both Hennessy Gold Cup third First Lieutenant and the returning China Rock in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.

Jockey Barry Geraghty believes Hennessy Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth deserves to be the ante-post favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Bobs Worth showed his class with a convincing victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Trainer Mouse Morris will wait until the middle of the week before deciding whether to let First Lieutenant take his chance in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

Anyone else find last weekend's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita a complete bore?

Kauto Stone made a successful seasonal bow as he landed the Grade One JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Davy Russell paid his tribute to the Gigginstown House Stud team after being crowned Ireland’s champion National Hunt jockey for the first time on Saturday.

Mouse Morris believes the ground is more of a concern than the trip for First Lieutenant in today’s Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown.

I am especially looking forward to today, because, to my way of thinking, Quevega and Voler La Vedette is the clash of the week in the three mile Grade 1 hurdle.

VOLER La Vedette is the nap choice to beat Quevega in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle at Punchestown this evening, should the meeting survive an 8am inspection.