Jessica Harrington’s 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John is set to make his return from a two-year absence at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve after pleasing connections in a post-racing workout at the County Kildare circuit on Sunday.

Quality. That’s all it takes it to attract a crowd.

Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are responsible for nine of the 14 remaining entries in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.

Mullins will consider sending Djakadam to France later this year after he finished second for the fourth time in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

I don’t think it is any great exaggeration to describe Willie Mullins’ Djakadam as having developed into something of a professional loser.

When Gigginstown’s Valseur Lido faded, rather dramatically, from the final fence in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown the general reaction was that he simply didn’t stay the three miles.

Much as I would love to ride Douvan in the Hilly Way Chase in Cork tomorrow, I can’t be in two places at once, and so I’ll be in Punchestown to ride Djakadam in the John Durkan Memorial. It’s a Grade 1 race, the biggest race of the day, and that’s the reason I’m going there.

Two dual Cheltenham heroes, former Champion Bumper and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Champagne Fever and former RSA Chase and Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere, served up a real treat on a wintry November afternoon in Thurles.

Racing at home is in Fairyhouse, but I’m off to Cheltenham this afternoon to ride Djakadam in his final racecourse outing before returning to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup.

Navan is not where I expected to be this afternoon, but I suppose it was better to find out early in the week at home that Un De Sceaux was a bit flat than when leaving the Railway Fences and wondering why he wasn’t picking up going to the Pond Fence.

Felix Yonger might upstage triple Grade 1 winner Flemenstar on his return to action in today’s Grade 2 Webster Cup in Navan.

Owner Barry Connell believes Foxrock will not be out of place in tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Gold Cup hero Lord Windermere is on course to have his final outing before the defence of his Cheltenham crown in Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, where he will face eight possible rivals.

Willie Mullins’ Champagne Fever is fancied to turn over Don Cossack in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes’ Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles this afternoon, should the meeting survive an 8am inspection.

Fears that Willie Mullins would completely dominate the National Hunt campaign have proved largely unfounded.

Much interest at Leopardstown today will centre on the debut over jumps of Silver Concorde in the Paddy Power Maiden Hurdle.

A quality field of 15, including the last two winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, remain in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28.

Don Cossack maintained his unbeaten record this season with a third victory from as many starts in a dramatic renewal of the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.

Imperial Call, the 1996 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, has died aged 25.

Runaway November Handicap winner Open Eagle is set to embark upon a career over hurdles this winter after joining Willie Mullins.

The Hilly Way Chase at Cork and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase are under consideration for Mick Winters’ stable star Rebel Fitz.

Champion Hurdle runner-up My Tent Or Yours has been ruled out for the season after suffering a tendon injury.

Ruby Walsh’s grim determination to get back from injury to ride at the Punchestown festival reaped a massive dividend when he drove Boston Bob to win the biggest prize of the week, the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Gold Cup yesterday.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Bobs Worth, is a welcome visitor to Leopardstown this afternoon for the Grade 1 Lexus Chase.

Mouse Morris is looking forward to getting Baily Green (right) back on the track in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.

Mount Benbulben will head straight to Kempton for the William Hill King George VI Chase on St Stephen’s Day.

Willie Mullins plans to “keep things simple” with Hurricane Fly, with the dual Champion Hurdle hero likely to make his seasonal return in next month’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.

Gordon Elliott’s exciting prospect Don Cossack will take his next step in a fascinating Navan Novice Hurdle on Sunday.

The one certainty about the Tingle Creek at Sandown today is that it is going to be spectacular.

JONCOL has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a tendon injury during the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown last week.

DERMOT WELD, fresh from beating Thousand Stars with Unaccompanied at Leopardstown on Thursday, can saddle El Toreros to land the nap in the Festival Hospitality three year-old Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

Robbie Hennessy believes Rubi Light has every chance of getting three miles in the Lexus Chase tomorrow as the ground continues to dry out at Leopardstown.

Rubi Light delighted his trainer Robbie Hennessy when coming through a serious gallop ahead of the next week’s Lexus Chase at Leopardstown with flying colours.