MOUSE MORRIS is favouring a tilt at the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday with his rising star War Of Attrition.

THE fast ground at Gowran Park sees just three runners in this afternoon’s Grade Two National Lottery Agent Champion ’Chase, with all the big guns coming out of the race yesterday morning.

THE exciting Euro Leader faces easily his biggest test to date in Sunday's €100,000 Anglo Irish Bank Munster National Handicap Chase at Limerick.

Lord Sam is set to return after over nine months off the track in the Anglo Irish Bank Munster National at Limerick on Sunday.

Paul Carberry displayed all his strength at Punchestown today when driving Wild Passion home for a heart-stopping victory in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

Baracouda remains the 7-4 favourite with the sponsors for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Connections of Tiutchev are to send the gelding for a full scale overhaul at the Royal Veterinary College in Bristol to find out the extent of the injury he sustained in the King George VI Chase on St Stephen's Day.

IT WAS a great day for the Irish at Kempton yesterday with Tom Taaffe’s Kicking King winning the King George and Noel Meade’s Harchibald taking the Christmas Hurdle.

NOEL CHANCE is hoping Murphy’s Cardinal can regain the winning thread in the skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on St Stephen’s Day.

TRAINER Tom Taaffe reports Kicking King to be “100 per cent” ahead of his big test in the Stan James King George VI Chase on St Stephen’s Day.

A total of 13 horses stood their ground for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park following today’s final declaration stage.

RUBY WALSH has opted to ride Azertyuiop instead of stable companion and second-favourite Le Roi Miguel in Sunday’s Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

Connections of Calling Brave will be “bitterly disappointed” if he fails to make the frame in Sunday’s Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Paul Nicholls is to delay a decision on Azertyuiop’s participation in the Stan James King George VI Chase until Thursday morning, when final declarations for Sunday’s showpiece are made.

EDREDON BLEU is likely to bid for a repeat win in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Sunday with stable companion Best Mate swerving the race despite being left in at yesterday’s five-day declaration stage.

Colonel Frank turned in a brilliant round of jumping to make every yard in the williamhill.co.uk Future Stars Chase, the highlight of a fine day’s action at Sandown Park today.

NIL DESPERANDUM has been the gamble of the Hennessy Gold Cup in recent days but although Frances Crowley reports him to be “as fit as I can get him”, she is concerned about the horse trying to defy a seven-month absence from the racecourse at Newbury this afternoon.

Timmy Murphy feels confident of adding to his 1999 Hennessy Gold Cup success on Ever Blessed when he takes the mount of ante-post favourite Celestial Gold in tomorrow’s renewal of the big Newbury handicap.

BEST MATE has been installed as the 3-1 favourite with sponsors Stan James to land the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St. Stephen's Day.

Smart Irish chaser Nil Desperandum is set to bypass Wetherby on Saturday and run nearer home instead at Down Royal a week later.

IF every horse was as simple to work out as Moscow Flyer then this racing game would be an exact science in no time at all.

CHELTENHAM hero Brave Inca can round off a splendid campaign by landing the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

All eyes will be on Moscow Flyer in the BETDAQ.com Champion Steeplechase at Punchestown tomorrow as he bids to atone for a costly failure in this race last season.

Leading Royal & SunAlliance Chase contender Lord Sam will miss today’s race at the Cheltenham Festival.

Reigning champions Best Mate, Rooster Booster, Moscow Flyer and Baracouda were declared to go forward to defend their Cheltenham Festival titles following yesterday’s forfeit stage for the nine championship races.

Lord Sam, one of the main candidates for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, is to go straight for the race without another run.

SIR REMBRANDT can secure his place in the line-up for chasing’s blue riband with victory in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham today.

GREENHOPE has what it takes to give big-race specialist Nicky Henderson back-to-back victories in the featured Tote Scoop6 Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton.

Perouse’s winning streak was brought to a halt last time out but this vastly-improved hurdler can show he is still capable of landing a good prize when he runs in the feature race at Kempton Park tomorrow.

TODAY’S the day of reckoning for Michael Hourigan and Ireland’s Gold Cup hope Beef or Salmon but I have to say I don’t think this will be his year.

THE under-rated Kieran Kelly came of age at Cheltenham yesterday when partnering his first Festival winner aboard Dessie Hughes’ Hardy Eustace in the Royal and SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle.

Solerina, who landed her sixth success of the season at Leopardstown on Sunday, heads 128 entries in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday, March 12.

TONY McCOY declared his love for Best Mate after the favourite provided plenty of Christmas cheer for punters with a battling success in the £150,000 Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton yesterday.

Tony McCoy broke his own record for the fastest 200 winners in a season when scoring on favourite Lord Sam in the opener at Kempton Park today.