It can’t have just been me who appreciated Lionel Messi that little bit more on Wednesday evening.

“When he hit that hill, it was like he was doing what he was bred to do.”

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

Oh, the up and downs, the highs and lows of national hunt racing. Yesterday had it all for me. It was amazing to win the first race on Klassical Dream and to watch Duc Des Genievres win the second – it was clear the horses were in great order.

Tommy Lyons picks out three horses worth a punt at Cheltenham this week.

Colm Greaves examines three things we’ll learn on day four at Cheltenham...

Dual Irish champion Flat jockey Joseph O’Brien has decided not to ride at all this year and to concentrate on his new role as a trainer.

Three-times former champion jumps trainer Michael Dickinson feels he would need to write a book to fully explain what makes Willie Mullins so dominant.

A potentially eventful morning as I’m due to be in Naas but, should that fall to the frost, I could be heading for Warwick, provided, of course, Willie Mullins wants me to do that.

I have a day off today, but there is National Hunt racing at Wexford and Willie’s only runner is Pont De Alma, in the bumper.

Marco Botti admits Ryan Moore is going to have to weave his magic from stall 16 if Suegioo is to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the Betway Chester Cup today.

It is Round Four for the season in Ireland between Hurricane Fly and Jezki but it is a battle with a difference this time, taking place over three miles in the World Hurdle (5.30). 

Buiseness Sivola showed a smart change of gear to run out an impressive winner of the REA Grimes Property Consultants Hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday.

In-form Luke Dempsey again proved his star quality when partnering Thunder Zone, the outsider of just three runners, in the CIT race Week Hurdle on Student Race Day in Cork yesterday.

The Tullow Tank is being prepared for next month’s Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse following a wasted journey to the Cheltenham Festival.

Done and dusted with the Cheltenham Festival for another year but what a week it has been! Barring Annie Power tipping up at the last in the mares’ hurdle, it has been fantastic. 

It’s Gold Cup day at Cheltenham but I won’t be disappointed if the forecast rain arrived overnight and continues through the morning as it will suit my mount, Djakadam, writes Ruby Walsh.

Festival Diary

Bookmakers face an "uphill struggle" to claw back the deficit in the betting ring battle after punters came out on top once more on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ruby Walsh reflects on Tuesday’s treble and Wednesday’s woes at Cheltenham.

Vautour can get punters off to a flying start by taking the opening JLT Novices’ Chase for the in-form team of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

Neptune Investments Novices Hurdle: The strength of the Willie Mullins novice brigade is again in evidence and his Nichols Canyon pips stable companion Outlander for favouritism. Both have strong claims, but Tell Us More may be forgiven his defeat on his most recent outing, and is also a player.

Willie Mullins singled out JLT Novices’ Chase hopeful Vautour for special praise after a post-racing workout after racing at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Ladbroke Hurdle winner Bayan is on target for the Prix Juigne at Auteuil on March 1 which would make him unlikely to take up his entry in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

Davy Russell has revealed that he is considering changing the tactics that proved so successful on board Lord Windermere in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, when the Jim Culloty-trained gelding takes his place in the Hennessy Gold Cup on Sunday.

Jim Dreaper plans to target Los Amigos at the Irish Grand National after the eight-year-old made a triumphant return following a 328-day absence at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

The multi-talented Bryan Cooper gave Road To Riches an extraordinary ride to land the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown yesterday.

Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Davy Condon, who fractured three vertebrae in the middle of his back in a fall at Cork in August, has been given the green light to return to the saddle from the middle of this month.

The New One faces five rivals in the inaugural running of the £100,000 Betfair Price Rush Hurdle at Haydock this afternoon.

JP McManus got his cheque book out to secure Shanpallas just in time for the Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick.

National Hunt racing is a notoriously tough game to make a name for oneself, but Gavin Sheehan has been doing just that.

Jim Culloty can safely be described as a legend now.

If Sam Twiston-Davies isn’t a star of the future then I’ll eat my hat. Following the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday he was inconsolable, but the young man had little about which to beat himself up.

To start with, two pieces of good news.

Anthony Honeyball insists he is thinking solely of this afternoon’s William Hill Imperial Cup at Sandown rather than the Cheltenham Festival with Regal Encore.

Bobs Worth is likely to have a racecourse gallop at Newbury on Sunday as Nicky Henderson puts the finishing touches to his preparation ahead of the defence of his Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup crown.

My Tent Or Yours is likely to go down the racecourse gallop route in his preparation for the Stan James Champion Hurdle after trainer Nicky Henderson ruled out a trip to Wincanton.