Anything but dull was the final meeting of the season at Thurles, with last-obstacle fallers, a neat gamble landed, a classy performance from a bright prospect, a mare adding further success to her cv with the breeding sheds firmly in sight, and a reversed result to wrap up proceedings.

Willie Mullins’ Champagne Fever made an excellent seasonal debut at Clonmel yesterday when landing the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase with the minimum of fuss.

Willie Mullins is confident Quevega has arrived at Cheltenham as good as ever ahead of her bid for an historic sixth consecutive victory in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle this afternoon.

Boston Bob is all set to take in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran on Thursday as he builds-up to challenge for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Long odds-on favourite Briar Hill brushed aside the challenge of sole rival Azorian to land the Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle in Navan yesterday.

The highly-regarded Rule The World coasted to an impressive victory in the Grade 2 Slaney Novice Hurdle in Naas yesterday as 1/4 favourite Champagne Fever flopped badly, trailing in a distant third before being found to have “a respiratory tract infection”.

Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh suffered a rare reversal in the Annual Membership At Naas Maiden Hurdle this afternoon as the odds-on favourite Upazo was run out of it close home by Jennies Jewel (6-1).

Aidan O’Brien won the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0, the first juvenile event of the season over a mile, for the fifth consecutive season when King George River triumphed in Gowran Park last night, providing jockey Colm O’Donoghue with the second leg of a double.

SEAMUS Heffernan, who will partner Fame And Glory in today’s Investec Derby, received a timely boost when recording a double on Man Of Iron and Skating at Navan last night, both horses carrying the purple and white colours of Derrick Smith, which Heffernan will don for classic action this afternoon.

Jarlath Fahey believes Maca Rince deserves to take a step up in class at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day after winning her last two races.

ERITREA is on course to bid for a hat-trick over timber as handler Patrick Flynn views a Grade One assignment on St Stephen’s Day.

Maca Rince built on a recent maiden hurdle success to land the spoils in the McGarrell Reilly Homes Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle today.