Risk Of Thunder, owned by actor Sean Connery and credited with stimulating interest in cross-country races in Ireland, has died at the age of 27.

Pineau De Re returns to the scene of his finest hour in the Betfred Becher Chase at Aintree hoping to break a curse that stretches as far back as 2003.

The Tullow Tank will not run at the Cheltenham Festival due to the “uncertainty” surrounding trainer Philip Fenton’s ongoing case for alleged possession of anabolic steroids, said his owner Barry Connell.

Dan Skelton’s arrival to the training ranks has been little less than astonishing as Willow’s Saviour brought about his 15th and considerably most important winner in The Ladbroke at Ascot.