The Willie Mullins-trained Nickname Exit sets the standard in today’s bumper in Clonmel, the Powerstown Flat Race.

Wood Breizh, who had struggled over the winter on bad ground, ran away with the Average Pick 6 Dividend Maiden Hurdle for in-form Paul Townend at Tramore last evening.

Noel Meade’s Texas Jack beat Baily Green to land the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles yesterday, but it was the third horse, Last Instalment, that was the real eye-catcher.

Willie Mullins’ Tarla proved far too good for Rebel Fitz in the www.racinghomeforeaster.com Hurdle at cold and wet Cork yesterday when thousands of students were on site.

Just one of three planned point-to-point fixtures survived the elements yesterday and that was the Island Foxhounds meeting that took place at Ballydarragh in north Co Wexford.

Colm Murphy’s Quito De La Roque, a horse who had been struggling to find form, came back to his best at Thurles yesterday when landing the Grade 2 Matty Ryan Memorial Kinloch Brae Chase.

Raised 10lb. for a repeat win in a handicap hurdle in Limerick over Christmas, the Eddie Harty-trained Fahamore followed-up when foiling the Willie Mullins-trained favourite Abbey Lane in the Buy Tickets On-Line Rated Hurdle in Fairyhouse yesterday.

THE main interest at Fairyhouse this afternoon will centre on the performance of Dermot Weld’s Galileo’s Choice in the Easter Festival 8th-10th April Novice Hurdle.

PAUL CARBERRY celebrated the New Year in style when recording a fine double on Dont Back Down and Osirixamix at Fairyhouse yesterday.

JOCKEY Alan Crowe completed back-to-back wins in the valuable Ladbrokes.com Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan yesterday, getting the Christy Ruche-trained 10/1 shot Groody Hill up close home to foil Ad Idem, with Cross Appeal third after making a costly mistake at the final fence.

Groody Hill capped a red-letter day for owner JP McManus with a last-gasp victory in the Ladbrokes.com Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan.

KEN CONDON moved his total for the week at the track to three when Peaks Of Fire took the Dawn Omega Milk Maiden at the final stage of Killarney yesterday.

LIAM BURKE’S Ordinary Man finally put it all together to justify favouritism in the Cluain Meala Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel last night.

EOIN DOYLE’S The Fonze won the 16th race of his life when giving an exhibition of jumping in the Limerick Junction Chase at Tipperary last night.

A WEEK ago The Midnight Club and I managed to negotiate those Grand National fences at Aintree, admittedly in our own good time, and today it’s a case of trying to do a lot better in the Scotttish equivalent at Ayr.

CORK Racecourse showed some real enterprise last evening when holding their first ever meeting for students.

TOFINO BAY, a horse who has clearly had his problems, should be ready to strike in the 22-runner Goffs’ Festival Sale Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon, should the meeting survive an 8.00am inspection.

EDWARD O’Grady’s Torphichen gets the nap to make a winning debut over fences in the Askeaton Beginners chase at Limerick this afternoon, should the meeting survive a 7.30am inspection.

GLENCOVE MARINA came back to something approaching his best form when landing the Listed Thurles Chase at the Tipperary track yesterday.

STREETS OF GOLD, trained by Christy Roche for J P McManus, dug deep to land the paddypower.com Grand National at Cork yesterday.

Francis Flood’s Slievecorragh recorded his fifth win over timber with a battling display in the J.P. McManus Hurdle at Cork.

GRA Geal Mo Chroi has a leading chance in the Mayo Advertiser Handicap at Ballinrobe tonight.

FOOTY FACTS is the nap choice to land the opening Killinan Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.

AIR Force One should deny last year’s winner One Cool Cookie in the Guinness Chase, feature of the St. Patrick’s Day action at Down Royal.

TAKE a chance on French-import Sweet My Lord in the opening Thoroughbred County Maiden Hurdle at Naas this afternoon.

THE enigmatic, but talented, Watson Lake was on a going day at Clonmel yesterday, finding enough for the inspired Paul Carberry to win the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase.

Fit The Cove put up a tremendously gutsy display to land the feature Connacht Tribune Centenary Handicap on the final day of the Galway Festival today.

THE Francis Flood-trained Slievecorragh got off the mark on the flat when landing the featured Kedrah House Stud Well Chosen Tipperary Perpetual Cup at Clonmel last night.

CRANKY Corner might be part of Willie Mullins’ team for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham following a smooth success in the Welcome To 2009 Pro-Am Flat Race at Fairyhouse yesterday.

JUMBO Rio was given a 33/1 quote by Cashmans for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham after making a winning start to his hurdling career at Punchestown yesterday.

Paul Nicholls’ Noland stayed on strongly in the testing conditions to get the better of fellow British raider The Listener in a thrilling finish to the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.

Go Native ran out an impressive winner of the INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle at Punchestown under a confident ride from Paul Carberry.

DASHING GEORGE gave a brilliant exhibition of jumping to land the Denny Gold Medal Handicap Chase at Tralee yesterday.

P’tit Fute made amends for a disappointing run on the opening day of the Galway Festival with victory back at Ballybrit today.

TONY MARTIN, out of luck with Leg Spinner in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday, was back on the big-race trail at Killarney yesterday when Northern Alliance landed the valuable Murphys’ Irish Stout Handicap Hurdle.

WHAT an extraordinary last day of 2007!

Mr Aussie was eventually named the winner of the Newtown Handicap Chase amid farcical scenes at Tramore.

Francis Flood hopes Be My Leader can make light of a drop in trip to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Lombardstown Mares Novice Chase at Cork on Sunday.

IF there is a future National Hunt star in action this weekend then it is likely to be Philip Rothwell’s Call Bewleys in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase at Cork tomorrow.

EAGLE’S PASS is the nap choice to land the Kildare Nationalist Hurdle at Punchestown this evening.

A LEGEND in Irish racing circles, Francis Flood has won all the big prizes – except one. Declan Colley discovers that he aims to put that right.

ASIAN MAZE, Harchibald, Hardy Eustace and Macs Joy could clash at Gowran Park on Saturday in a high-class renewal of the Red Mills Trial Hurdle.

THE AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow has attracted what can only be described as an extraordinary line-up.

THE progressive Francis Flood-trained Bronx Girl is fancied to land the Mistletoe Mares Bumper at Navan this afternoon.