In Willie Mullins’ eyes, Quevega can still do no wrong.

While racing wasn’t confirmed when I travelled over yesterday morning, we were fairly sure that it would go ahead.

Luck went with the Irish on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival as even the weather could not spoil the racing.

Trainer Willie Mullins believes Quevega could be even better than last year as she bids for her own piece of Cheltenham Festival history this afternoon.

Willie Mullins declared himself “very happy” with Quevega after the history-seeking mare made a gentle appear ance after racing at Leopardstown.

Tony McCoy admits the death of Synchronised in last week’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree has been hard to take for everyone connected with the horse.

The cold seeps deep into our bones, and darkness begins to roll across Lambourn, the small village which calls itself the Valley of the Racehorse, but Tony McCoy is already high in the sunlit hills of his latest ambition.

Jonjo O’Neill is confident his Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Synchronised is in the form of his life as he bids to follow up in today’s John Smith’s Grand National.

In the lead up to today’s Grand National much has been made of the fact that to win the race Synchronised will have to defy the weight of history.

Connections of Synchronised have confirmed the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero as an intended runner in Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised is becoming increasingly likely to take his chance in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree next Saturday.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised is becoming increasingly likely to take his chance in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill is keen for Synchronised to attempt to become just the second horse in history to land the John Smith’s Grand National and the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season.

IT was one of those heart-stopping sporting moments.

EARLIER this week’s boxing’s ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali, celebrated his 70th birthday and 50 years ago yesterday, National Hunt racing’s equivalent, the peerless steeplechaser Arkle, gained his first victory in a modest novice hurdle at Navan.

THERE is a time in every sporting career when the hero gets overturned by the guy next in line, or the no-hoper or by the fairy story - and that happened to Best Mate at Leopardstown yesterday when he was beaten by Beef or Salmon.

BEST MATE remains odds-on across the board to win an historic third Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup following the publication of the entries yesterday.

Best Mate heads the 32 entries revealed today for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place on March 18.

Istabraq is set to be retired after his bid for a record fourth Smurfit Champion Hurdle victory ended in anti-climax today.