The placement of the many framed pictures at Noel Meade’s home in Castletown, Co Meath is revealing.

It’s a contest that fans of Irish national hunt racing would go a long way to see.

Cousin Vinny defied a 22-month absence, caused by a tendon injury, when justifying odds-on favouritism in the opening Festival Free Upgrade Offer Ends Today Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday.

MORNING prices exist, at least on occasions, to keep punters in the style to which they have become accustomed.

ONE of the top equestrian showcases in Europe gets under way today with the official opening of the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show at the RDS in Ballsbridge.

RIGHTLY or wrongly, National Hunt jockeys these days are rated by the number of winners they ride at the Cheltenham Festival.

NOEL Meade plans to give Go Native a post-racing workout at Leopardstown on Sunday week to crown his preparations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.

Noel Meade plans to give Go Native a post-racing workout at Leopardstown on Sunday week to crown his preparations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.

NOEL Meade is stepping up Go Native’s work as the crack hurdler nears his date with a potential £1m bonus at Cheltenham next month.

HENRY De Bromhead’s stable star Sizing Europe came through his latest workout with flying colours ahead of his run in the Bord na Mona with Nature Novice Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day.

Henry De Bromhead’s stable star Sizing Europe came through his latest workout with flying colours ahead of his run in the Bord na Mona with Nature Novice Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day.

NOEL Meade has confirmed that his brilliant hurdler Harchibald has run his last race.

CHARLES BYRNES fears Binocular will be a major stumbling block to Solwhit, who is unbeaten in 2009 and is fresh from claiming the scalps of Muirhead and Hurricane Fly in the Punchestown Hurdle two weeks ago, in the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle today.

IF Punchestown today survives an 8am inspection then much of the focus will obviously centre on the second outing over jumps of the exciting Dunguib in the Ballymaloe Country Relish Hurdle.

CHAMPION HURDLE winner Punjabi heads 25 entries for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 28 as he bids to repeat last year’s victory.

Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi heads 25 entries for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 28 as he bids to repeat last year’s victory.

Noel Meade has the enigmatic Harchibald pencilled in for his second outing over fences at Navan on Sunday week.

SIZING Europe proved a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Sizing Europe maintained his unbeaten record over fences with a hugely impressive display in the Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown.

A fascinating early-season clash is on the cards at Punchestown tomorrow as Grade One-winning hurdlers Harchibald and Sizing Europe clash over fences in the Buck House Novice Chase.

Binocular could be part of the largest field for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in 18 years with Nicky Henderson’s hot favourite one of 24 horses declared for Tuesday’s main event.

WILLIE Mullins’ Sicilian Secret came in for plenty of support following a stylish piece of work after racing at Leopardstown yesterday and is now 4-1 favourite with William Hill and Cashmans for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Triple Aintree Hurdle winner Al Eile returns from a lengthy absence at Dundalk tomorrow night.

Michael O’Brien’s smart hurdler Essex is set to make his return from a near two-year absence at either Dundalk or Leopardstown later this week.

A total of 29 horses stand their ground at the latest forfeit stage for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the feature race of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

ONE of the big stories to emerge from Leopardstown on Sunday, besides mighty Brave Inca, was the very poor attendance.

Muirhead looks like being Noel Meade’s sole representative in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown next Sunday.

THE last four winners of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle could reoppose at the Cheltenham Festival as Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca, Sublimity and Katchit are among 34 possibles for this year’s renewal.

The last four winners of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle could reoppose at the Cheltenham Festival as Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca, Sublimity and Katchit are among 34 possibles for this year’s renewal

TRAINER Noel Meade has offered an upbeat bulletin over his star hurdler Harchibald, but has said the ground will be the key factor as to where he turns up.

OKAY, the dust has settled and all the Christmas racing and early New Year stuff is now firmly behind us - so what have we learned?

SILENT Oscar, off the track since winning at the Punchestown Festival in 2007, is on course to return to the track in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 25.

Racing enthusiasts can look forward to a bumper day of action tomorrow with all 11 meetings in Britain and Ireland set to go ahead.

Snoopy Loopy is suffering no side-effects as his busy season continues in the Stan James King George VI Chase on December 25.

Barry Geraghty is looking forward to teaming up with Punjabi in the Stan James Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.

PUNJABI and Sublimity are among six declared runners for the rearranged WBX.COM “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle at Wetherby tomorrow.

Harchibald could attempt to reclaim the Boylesports.com International at Cheltenham after Noel Meade opted against returning to Britain on Saturday.

EOIN Griffin realises the stiff task facing Kazal in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

DESSIE HUGHES has decided to let Hardy Eustace take his chance in Sunday’s Bar-One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Sublimity and Harchibald are among 10 possibles for the wbx.com "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday.

Noel Meade will walk the track before committing Harchibald to the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

CONNECTIONS of Don’t Push It are confident the eight-year-old will give a good account of himself in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

NOEL MEADE has decided against running Harchibald at Dundalk tomorrow night, but he could line up at the track next week instead.

Noel Meade has decided against running Harchibald at Dundalk tomorrow night, but he could line up at the track next week instead.