Colm Greaves (Good Day/Bay Day

Good day

With the National Hunt campaign approaching its halfway stage, Colm Greaves assesses the current state of play

World champion boxer Kellie Harrington was overcome with emotion at winning the 2018 The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year award yesterday.

Kate Hannon scored 0-11 and scooped the Player of the Match award as Cork’s Glanmire won their first ever All-Ireland junior club title with victory over Tourlestrane at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.

Former Gold Cup third Road To Riches could return to Cheltenham this autumn after changing hands at Doncaster on Wednesday.

In recent days, three Irish sportswomen passed significant milestones in their careers.

Gold Present was the only withdrawal at the final 48-hour declaration stage for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

Baie Des Iles has been all the rage with punters as momentum builds around Katie Walsh’s mount in the Randox Health Grand National.

"We're counting down the days now, but it's going to be a great experience and I'm looking forward to riding in the race again and especially for Ross."

Ruby Walsh, who aggravated an old injury at last week’s Cheltenham Festival, has ruled out making a return in time for Aintree.

Ruby Walsh, who aggravated an old injury at last week’s Cheltenham Festival, has ruled out making a return in time for Aintree but remains hopeful he will back in the saddle for next month’s Punchestown festival.

There were four equine fatalities on the final day alone, with three of them coming in the concluding race.

There were four equine fatalities on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, taking the total for the week to six.

Katie Walsh has passed the course doctor so she can ride Wonderful Charm in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.

Katie Walsh is still hoping to ride Wonderful Charm in Saturday's Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.

Colm Greaves examines three things we’ll learn on day four at Cheltenham...

Jockeys try to hide concussion after a fall from a horse due to fear of losing rides, an outspoken sports commentator and former champion jockey claims.

So much racing to busy ourselves with on St Stephen’s Day, and, at Leopardstown, Castello Sforza gets the nap to step up on his promising hurdling debut.

It was a little surprising that Nina Carberry didn’t find herself before the stewards, following the bumper at Wexford on Monday.   

James Nash is hoping his veteran performer Your Busy will lead his rivals a “merry dance” in Sunday’s John Smith’s Summer Cup at Uttoxeter.

Tiger Roll retained his unbeaten record over fences when justifying 7/4 favouritism in the Midland National Ladies Day July 15th Novice Chase in Kilbeggan last night.

Normal service resumed for Willie Mullins who, after one winner but many reverses on day one, bounced back with a 194-1 treble, which included two Grade One successes, on the second day of the Punchestown festival.

You know how it goes at this stage.

Donnchadh Doyle appears to have a plethora of talent at his disposal this season and the north Co Wexford-based handler sent out two winners at yesterday’s West Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Lismore.

Willie Mullins took the feature, Gordon Elliott added two to his tally, the fine form of the Pat Fahy stable continued unabated with another brace, and a Charles Byrne-trained horse landed a tidy gamble. Clonmel, on a crisp spring afternoon, was a microcosm of the national hunt season thus far.

Without a win since landing the Grade One Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown a year ago, Gitane Du Berlais made all to capture the listed BBA Ireland Ltd Opera Hat Mares Chase in Naas yesterday.

Willie Mullins struck gold with his first ever runner at Taunton as Myska kept her unbeaten record intact in the Happy New Year From totepool Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle yesterday.

Another crack at the Crabbie’s Grand National is the dream for connections of Seabass after the 12-year-old rolled back the years with victory at Thurles on Sunday.

With only one winning favourite on the seven-race programme, bookmakers got an early Christmas present at Thurles, where 20-1 chance Seabass turned back the clock when running away with the David O’Halloran Memorial Rated Novice Hurdle in the hands of Katie Walsh.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins won the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle for the fourth time in five years when Bellshill, ridden by Ruby Walsh, proved an impressive twelve lengths winner of yesterday’s feature in Navan.

The impressive hurdling debutant Up For Review and Open Eagle provided Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh with a double in the maiden hurdle action at Fairyhouse yesterday.

Trainer Pat Fahy topped and tailed yesterday’s meeting at Clonmel with the victories for Eyes Of A Tiger and Ten Times Better, while their respective riders, Ruby and Katie Walsh, helped record a memorable day for the Walsh family as their father, Ted, was also on the mark, with Old Castletown.

The horse racing roadshow moves to Clonmel this afternoon, where the Pat Fahy-trained Eyes Of A Tiger is fancied to making a winning debut over jumps in the Laganore Maiden Hurdle.

Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Colm Murphy savoured a welcome change of luck when Catalaunian Fields landed the Thatch Bar Katies Kitchen Maiden Hurdle in Bellewstown last night.

Ian Queally gave Maudlin Magdalen a textbook ride to land the featured Kingdom Gold Cup, worth €30,000 to the winner, last evening at Killarney.

Santa Monica gets the nap to earn an overdue maiden success this evening at Tipperary. There is a concern she isn’t proven on the likely testing ground, but her dam secured her sole victory on good-to-soft going, and this lady has shown plenty of class in three outings to date.

Willie Mullins reports Hurricane Fly in rude health ahead of the legendary hurdler’s return to his homeland for the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil in Paris tomorrow.

A jockeys’ coach has apologised after a BBC interview in which he told Katie Walsh that women “can’t ride”.