Fortune has not always favoured Noel Meade at the Cheltenham Festival, but the seven-times champion Irish trainer is hoping Road To Riches can enjoy the rub of the green in this year’s Gold Cup.

Owner Rich Ricci believes Faugheen represents his best chance of winning one of the championship events at the Cheltenham Festival ahead of his bid for glory in today’s Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Rock On Ruby has been cut to a best priced 14-1 to become the first Champion Hurdle winner in over 50 years to also land the Ladbroke World Hurdle after giving favourite Vaniteux weight and a comprehensive beating at Cheltenham on Thursday.

Dessie Hughes was described as the "professional’s professional" by Willie Mullins as tributes poured in from the racing world following the Kildare trainer’s death at the age of 71.

Training great Dessie Hughes has died, aged 71.

Dessie Hughes wishes the Stan James Champion Hurdle was next week, such is the condition of his representative Our Conor.

Willie Mullins has sounded a cautious note about a potential Stan James Champion Hurdle bid for the exciting Un De Sceaux.

Dessie Hughes insists Our Conor “couldn’t be better” ahead of his second crack at Hurricane Fly in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 26.

Bryan Cooper, a future champion jockey if ever there was one, guided Dessie Hughes’s Our Conor to a scintillating success in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Last year’s winner Rock On Ruby is among a field of nine for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

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.

THERE are two noticeable powerhouses dominating Irish racing this season - Willie Mullins and Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud.

Hurricane Fly, the hot favourite and title-holder, heads 10 runners in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

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.

HURRICANE FLY, deprived of the opportunity to run at the festival for the last two years because of niggling injuries, can leave all of that frustration behind by landing the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham this afternoon.

I RATE Paul Nicholls’ The Minack the bet of the day in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot this afternoon.

LEOPARDSTOWN Racecourse yesterday announced a new five-year deal which will see the 100% Irish owned BHP Insurances Ltd company sponsor the Irish Champion Hurdle until 2015.

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

FOOTY FACTS gets the vote to land a typically wide-open Tendrleen Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park this afternoon.

John Cullen steps in for the injured Andrew McNamara as Preists Leap bids to land the Tendrleen Thyestes Handicap Chase for the third year running at Gowran Park tomorrow.

Dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace has earned honourable retirement following defeat at Punchestown on Thursday.

FOOTY Facts proved himself on course for a crack at the Thyestes at Gowran Park in three weeks when slamming veteran Hardy Eustace in the Kathleen Clarke 80th Birthday Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday, when snow showers resulted in the County Kildare track adopting a seasonal look.

Footy Facts (9-4) ran out an easy winner of the Kathleen Clarke 80th Birthday Hurdle at snow-swept Punchestown.

FOOTY FACTS can win a fascinating little seven-runner Kathleen Clarke 80th Birthday Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

Davy Russell was seen to great effect on Oscar Dan Dan (11-2) when getting the better of Tony McCoy and Ninetieth Minute in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

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

Dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace will be retired if he fails to sparkle on the gallops.

THE rapidly improving Solwhit got the better of Punjabi at the end of a pulsating Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last evening.

The Rabobank Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day four of the Punchestown Festival in Co Kildare today.

SIZING Europe will attempt to end the campaign on a high in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown today.

Punjabi bids to follow in the illustrious hoofprints of Istabraq and Hardy Eustace by completing the Cheltenham/Punchestown Champion Hurdle double tomorrow.

Dessie Hughes is looking forward to next season with Siegemaster, who signed off for the campaign at Aintree on Friday.

Al Eile will try to emulate Morley Street when he bids to win the John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle for a fourth time on Saturday.

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.

Hardy Eustace will head a raiding party of six from the Dessie Hughes stable at Cheltenham next week.

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.

Dessie Hughes is undecided whether to let dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace head back to Cheltenham next month in search of more glory.

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.

Plans for Hardy Eustace have been put on hold while connections try to discover why the dual Champion Hurdle hero has run below expectations on his last two starts.

Brave Inca will try and use his trademark battling qualities to justify favouritism and end a two-year losing stretch in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.