Al Eile features among 17 horses engaged in Saturday’s Scottish And Newcastle Pub Enterprises Aintree Hurdle.

Pat Hughes is planning a crack at the Punchestown Festival with Farmer Brown following his creditable run in the Champion Hurdle.

There were no major surprises among the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle defectors as Sizing Europe, Osana and reigning title-holder Sublimity all appeared among the five-day confirmations.

Lounaos is a major doubt for the Cheltenham Festival after disappointing connections at Gowran Park on Saturday.

EOIN GRIFFIN is hoping Lounaos can atone for a disappointing show at last year’s Cheltenham Festival with an improved effort this season.

Henry de Bromhead feels he has stable star Sizing Europe as ready as possible for his first major test in Sunday’s AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

SUBLIMITY will miss the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle because of the prospect of testing conditions at Leopardstown on Sunday.

PADDY POWER and Cashmans have both promoted Sizing Europe to favouritism for Sunday’s AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, after yesterday’s forfeit and supplementary stage.

Lounaos is ready to take on the best in the AIG (Europe) Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday week.

Lounaos defied the lack of a recent run to win the Tom Hogan Lexus Hurdle at Limerick for trainer Eoin Griffin.

Johnny Murtagh has been putting Lounaos through her paces before her likely seasonal reappearance on December 26.

Lounaos is unlikely to be seen out until Christmas, with trainer Eoin Griffin keen to take things one step at a time.

Kazal is likely to make his seasonal reappearance in about six weeks’ time after suffering a minor setback.

LOUNAOS returned home from Cheltenham in good shape, leaving handler Eoin Griffin unable to account for her disappointing show in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Lounaos returned home from Cheltenham in good shape, leaving handler Eoin Griffin unable to account for her disappointing show in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

PUNTERS have struggled all week, but fortunes were taken out of the ring by Wichita Lineman in the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday, giving Tony McCoy a much needed change of fortune.

Alan King and Robert Thornton landed their third Cheltenham Festival winner of the week when Katchit won the JCB Triumph Hurdle in great style.

Course specialist Exotic Dancer gets the nod to land the totesport Gold Cup at the final stage of the Cheltenham Festival this afternoon.

KAUTO STAR is the best horse in this afternoon’s Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup but there are too many question marks for me to back him at such a short price.

Eoin Griffin hopes Lounaos can become just the fourth filly to win a JCB Triumph Hurdle when she tackles 23 rivals at Cheltenham tomorrow.

Eoin Griffin’s filly Lounaos heads 41 acceptors at the confirmation stage for the JCB Triumph Hurdle on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

BARRY GERAGHTY, at Anfield last night to watch Liverpool play Barcelona in the Champions’ League, confesses to being “puzzled” by Macs Joy’s shock defeat to Newmill in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park last month.

Boychuk appears ever more certain to be pulled out of next week’s Royal & SunAlliance Chase, unless the ground dries up significantly at Cheltenham.

ROSS RIVER, a faller when sent off the well-backed 5-1 favourite for the Racing Post Plate last season, is unlikely to bid for redemption this time around.

EOIN GRIFFIN has been thrilled with Lounaos as preparations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle gather momentum.

Eoin Griffin has been thrilled with Lounaos as preparations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle gather momentum.

ROYAL & SUNALLIANCE Chase fancy Cailin Alainn is showing all the right signs ahead of her appearance at the Cheltenham Festival.

Convincing will head straight for the JCB Triumph Hurdle after missing an intended engagement at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

JOHN MURPHY will give JCB Triumph Hurdle hope Convincing one more run before the Cheltenham Festival.

Katchit may have most to fear from the Irish filly Lounaos in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, according to Alan King.

LOUNAOS, 5-1 favourite with Paddy Power for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, is likely to head to Cheltenham without another run.

Lounaos, 5-1 favourite with Paddy Power for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, is likely to head to Cheltenham without another run.

THE AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday, won in some style by the great Hardy Eustace, was surely the best contest ever run over flights in this country!

Colm Murphy could not be happier with Brave Inca’s preparation for his defence of the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Punchestown tomorrow.

THE AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow has attracted what can only be described as an extraordinary line-up.

TOM MULLINS will walk the track before deciding whether to let his stable star Asian Maze take her chance in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

CHAMPION Hurdler Brave Inca will face a maximum of eight rivals in what looks a fascinating renewal of the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Champion Hurdler Brave Inca will face a maximum of eight rivals in what looks a fascinating renewal of the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Cheltenham Gold Cup third Forget The Past capitalised on a lenient timber rating by making a winning reappearance in the VCBet Hurdle over two and a half miles at Punchestown.

EOIN GRIFFIN hopes ante-post favourite Kendor Dine can add his name to an illustrious roll of honour by winning tomorrow’s Pierse Hurdle – but believes his charge offers punters poor value.

Eoin Griffin has confirmed that Lounaos, the 10-1 joint-favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, is a real possibility for the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 28.

Jessica Harrington could be double-handed in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 28.

RUBY WALSH edged closer to the century mark of winners here at home when taking his tally for the season to 94 with a treble at Thurles yesterday aboard Financial Reward, Nay and Wickford.

RUBY WALSH, miles clear in the jockeys' championship with 91 successes for the season, can continue his relentless drive towards the magical century mark by landing a treble at Thurles this afternoon.