ONE of the many wine myths that can mislead the unwary concerns age.

THE local-and-in-season theme reflected in food foraging is an entirely different philosophy to that behind organics. But the two outlooks can be good companions, not least as much of the organic approach to food and drink is dedicated to minimising human intervention and emphasising the direct line between field and fork.

SIZING Europe and Big Zeb will clash in the Boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase on February 5.

HERE’s a particularly good example of the top-class fun and great value offered by winemaker dinners.

WHEN I walked out of Cork University Hospital exactly two weeks ago there was only one thing on my mind, the Galway Plate and Blazing Tempo.

RUBY WALSH faces another long spell on the sidelines, following a fall in the last race at Killarney on Tuesday night.

CAPTAIN CEE BEE could start the winter campaign with a run in the Poplar Square Chase at Naas on Saturday week.

HENRY de Bromhead admits he is as much in the dark as anyone over the prospects of Sizing Europe staying three miles this season.

TONY MULLINS, who has been finding winners hard to come by, got back to the big-time at Ballybrit last night when Rock And Roll Kid, partnered by his son, Danny, strode to victory in the featured Tote Galway Mile EBF Handicap.

Kauto Star has been installed as the 5-6 favourite by Coral for Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock, a race he won last year en route to a million pound bonus.

JUSTIFIED, despite continuing reservations about him travelling right-handed, is the choice in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel this afternoon.

FORGET The Past, third behind War Of Attrition and Hedgehunter in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last year, squeezed home a head in front Of Light On The Broom in the Thurles Chase at the Tipperary track yesterday.

The Listener will face five rivals in tomorrow’s James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal – providing the ground is no quicker than good.

DON’T know about you, but here’s one who was greatly disappointed with Kauto Star at Aintree on Sunday.

Charles Byrnes will only let dual Grade One-winning chaser Cailin Alainn take her chance over hurdles at Thurles on Thursday if the ground eases significantly.

Dusty Sheehy is keen to give Justified another chance to prove he stays three miles in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 3.

Beef Or Salmon is set to return to action in Sunday’s Hacketts Bookmakers Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh.

SPORTS Minister John O'Donoghue has announced the appointment of three new members to the Board of Horse Racing Ireland - Michael Doyle, Michael Murphy and James Nicholson.

WAR OF ATTRITION is fancied to stamp his class on the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.

NOEL MEADE has decided to sidestep Sunday's Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown with Harchibald and Iktitaf will do duty for the stable instead.

MOUSE MORRIS is looking forward to saddling War Of Attrition in today’s James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal but he admits he will be relieved when the race is over.

Beef Or Salmon is set to clash with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition at Down Royal on Saturday.

Beef Or Salmon has not been ruled out of a fifth attempt at Cheltenham Gold Cup glory next March.

DAVY FITZGERALD, who trains just ten miles away at Askeaton, enjoyed the biggest success of his career when Pearly Jack landed the Munster National Handicap Chase at Limerick yesterday.

AWARD-WINNING Co Down wine merchant James Nicholson is investing €6 million in expansion of the business throughout Ireland, including a new 2500sq ft retail outlet in Crossgar.

IT takes two to tango and, on that basis, it will be disappointing should Mouse Morris decide to sidestep Saturday's James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal with War Of Attrition.

MOUSE MORRIS is favouring a tilt at the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday with his rising star War Of Attrition.

DUSTY SHEEHY, whose Justified turned in such a fine round of jumping to score first time up over fences at Punchestown last week, wasted no time getting among the winners at Clonmel yesterday when Ballyjohnboy Lord landed the Tipp FM Maiden Hurdle.

Euro-MPs launched bitter attacks on Sinn Féin and the IRA tonight over the murder of Robert McCartney.

BEEF OR SALMON, in many ways the great nearly horse of Irish racing, has to finally stand and deliver in next Tuesday’s Lexus ’Chase at Leopardstown!

THIRTEEN horses remain in Saturday’s eagerly awaited James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal, following yesterday’s supplementary and forfeit stage.

TOM TAAFFE, very much looking forward to throwing down the gauntlet to Beef Or Salmon with Kicking King in Saturday’s James Nicholson at Down Royal, was on the mark at Clonmel yesterday when Man About Town justified favouritism in the John Costigan Memorial Novice Hurdle.

Smart Irish chaser Nil Desperandum is set to bypass Wetherby on Saturday and run nearer home instead at Down Royal a week later.

THEY came in their thousands to see Cheltenham Gold Cup aspirant Beef Or Salmon at Limerick yesterday, but the eight-year-old could only manage a disappointing fifth behind Colca Canyon in the Munster National.

KICKING KING, who established himself as one of the leading two-mile novice chasers last term, will have his first start of the autumn at Gowran Park on Friday.

Nearly A Moose, winner of last year’s Galway Plate, is unlikely to defend his title on July 28 after pulling a muscle.

TONY MULLINS’ Barrow Drive can get us away to a flier for the New Year in the Wilf Dooly Chase at Tramore this afternoon.

CYFOR MALTA is a best-priced 12-1 with the sponsors and Cashmans for the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday in his bid to land the Cheltenham showpiece for a third time.

IT is no great exaggeration to say that this weekend sees the real start of the National Hunt campaign.