Kauto Star faces seven rivals as he tries to regain the winning thread in Wednesday’s Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup.

Mouse Morris hopes to have China Rock back in training next season as the gelding continues to recover from an injury he picked up in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

KAUTO STAR showed his well-being ahead of the Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown Festival with a pleasing piece of work at the weekend.

Kempes will bid to make amends for his Cheltenham flop in the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown on May 4.

IT’S unusual to have the three winners of the last four Gold Cups reassemble in the hope of keeping the title amongst themselves for a fifth successive year but the question is: how much do we really want one of them to regain or, in Imperial Commander’s instance, to retain the crown?

HAVING seen one former champion in Master Minded trail home a well-beaten eighth this week, Clive Smith is relying on his old favourite Kauto Star to propel him back into the limelight in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Gold Cup is the most coveted prize in national hunt racing and being at Cheltenham on Gold Cup day is an unforgettable experience.

In just two starts, Dermot Weld's Unaccompanied has made a real name for herself over hurdles.

Having seen one former champion in Master Minded trail home a well-beaten eighth this week, Clive Smith is relying on his old favourite Kauto Star to propel him back into the limelight in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

THE old guard of Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander feature among 14 declarations for tomorrow’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The old guard of Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander feature among 14 declarations for this year’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

WHEN Kauto Star landed the Gold Cup two years ago he created history.

SHOULD champion trainer Willie Mullins leave Cheltenham empty-handed this week then it is a virtual certainty that Irish punters will be sunk without trace.

TWENTY-FOUR horses, and all the big names, remain in the reckoning at the latest forfeit stage for next month’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

CLONMEL this afternoon, subject to an 8am inspection, doesn’t have a lot to recommend it, with largely moderate horses making up a six-race programme.

Kempes is the new name in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup picture after running out a decisive winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Kempes ran out a clear-cut winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown for Willie Mullins and David Casey.

LAST weekend we went through the big Hennessy meeting at Leopardstown in some detail, but the weather ruined the party and, of course, it has been rescheduled to this afternoon.

PAUL Nicholls is not concerned about the prospect of testing ground for Hennessy Gold Cup favourite Pride Of Dulcote.

ANYONE who knows me will be well aware that sitting on the fence is not in my nature, but it is precisely what I intend to do as far as tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown is concerned.

Paul Nicholls is not concerned about the prospect of testing ground for Hennessy Gold Cup favourite Pride Of Dulcote.

Willie Mullins saddled the first five-timer (at cumulative odds of 952/1) of his illustrious training career at Punchestown yesterday.

LEOPARDSTOWN yesterday announced the entries for the 4 Grade 1 races on Sunday, February 6, the featured Hennessy Gold Cup, Dr PJ Moriarty Chase, Deloitte Novice Hurdle and the Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

Pandorama rose to the top of the Irish staying division with a decisive victory in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

Tony McCoy will have to pass the doctor if he is to ride at Newbury tomorrow after hurting his wrist in a fall at Leopardstown.

NOEL MEADE’S Pandorama will be hoping for a change of fortune in today’s Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

Cooldine has been installed as favourite for tomorrow’s Lexus Chase at Leopardstown – if the meeting beats the weather.

I’M at Cheltenham today for Channel 4 and it’s terrific to see some proper racing back on the menu.

CORK, which is set to house a terrific card, is virtually certain to go ahead on Sunday.

WILLIE MULLINS has yet to make any hard and fast plans for his stable stars’ return to the race course but reports most of them to be in fine fettle as the National Hunt season kicks into gear.

MOUSE Morris’ horses appear to be well forward and his China Rock gets the vote to land the Grade 2 Gowran Park Champion Chase at the Kilkenny track this afternoon.

WILLIE MULLINS’ Golden Silver, a proven mud-lark, showed he is just as effective on a sound surface when landing the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Colm Murphy will be hoping for a change of fortune for Zaarito in tomorrow’s Growise Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival.

DESSIE HUGHES believes Deal Done will be up to the task as he steps up to Grade One company for the first time in tomorrow's Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

A RIGHT bit of fun organising to get to Haydock for my solitary ride this afternoon. (My sister and agent) Jennifer was wondering why she was struggling to get me into Manchester until it dawned that there’s a pretty important Premier League game at Old Trafford at lunchtime (I’ll take the draw for United by the way, more than happy with a point).

SWEET MY LORD should help fund punters’ Easter weekend by landing the opening Buttevant Maiden Hurdle at Cork.

COLM Murphy’s Zaarito could face up to 14 rivals in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Paul Nolan is waiting to see what the weather brings before deciding whether to let Noble Prince run again this season.

NICANOR, who once beat Denman at the Cheltenham Festival, should be finally ready to strike over fences in the Trim Beginners Chase at Navan this afternoon.

RUBY Walsh produced Kempes with a perfectly-timed challenge to foil gambled-on favourite Jagoes Mills in the Grade 2 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase (re-scheduled from Naas last Sunday) on an all-chase card at Thurles yesterday.

The formidable combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh once again struck gold as Kempes gained his second success over fences in the Grade Two Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Thurles.

DOONEYS GATE is a confident nap choice to land the Cashel Chase at Thurles this afternoon.