No More Heroes raced into the Cheltenham Festival picture as he saw off Shaneshill to land the Navan Novice Hurdle for Gordon Elliott and Barry Geraghty yesterday.

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.

Third in the Dubai World Cup last March, the Charlie Appleby-trained Cat O’Mountain, in the familiar Goldolphin blue, landed the Group 3 Diamond Stakes in Dundalk last night.

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.

Philip Fenton, one of the quiet men of Irish racing, hasn’t half emerged with real credit over the last ten days or so.

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.

Willie Mullins already has his string in tip-top form and he took the feature Polar Square Chase at Naas yesterday with Twinlight.

You just know the National Hunt campaign is about to hit top gear when a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate is set to make his reappearance.

My main reason for going to Doncaster this afternoon is to ride Join Together in a three and a quarter mile handicap chase.

Bright New Dawn justified favouritism in the Grade 2 boylesports.com Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles yesterday, but the race was marred by the fatal fall of Venture Capital.

The recent HRI figures didn’t half illustrate the massive decline in activity in the betting ring in Ireland, threatening the very existence of on-course bookmakers down the line.

It’s looking good for Sandown today, after the meeting passed a second inspection yesterday afternoon.

Sizing Europe warms for Cheltenham at Punchestown tomorrow and should enjoy little more than a good school on his way to landing the Grade 2 boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase.

Willie Mullins’ French recruit, Pont Alexandere, who looked a bit special when scoring on his Irish debut at Navan, was even more impressive in the Grade 2 Synergy Security Solutions Novice Hurdle.

Whoever had the foresight to name Rule The World must, at least secretly, be congratulating themselves.

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).

The remarkable Inis Meain, a tremendous success story over the last few months for Denis Hogan, did it again at Listowel yesterday when landing the featured Guinness Handicap.

Absent for two years since winning a novice hurdle at the 2012 Punchestown Festival, Arvika Ligeonniere made a hugely impressive return to action and chasing debut in the Punchestown For Events Beginners Chase at Punchestown yesterday.