Oft has champion jockey Pat Smullen received the plaudits for his brilliance in the saddle, but his feat in getting Xsquared around Killarney and home in front in a two-mile-one handicap with a slipped saddle for more than a circuit must rank high amongst the Offaly rider’s most-extraordinary achievements.

Declan McDonogh recorded his second treble in two weeks when scoring on Great Wide Open and Zorba The Greek for Charles O’Brien and Paul Nolan’s Usain in Gowran Park last night.

Reverting to hurdles after a successful campaign chasing, Colms Dream cruised to an easy, if narrow, victory in the Silks @ Down Royal Handicap Hurdle in Down Royal yesterday.

Robbie Downey, chasing 2013 champion Connor King in the race for the apprentice title, rode out his 5lb. claim when partnering Go Kart to a convincing win in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden at Down Royal yesterday.

Rupert Lamb put previous frustrating runs over hurdles behind him with a very smart display in the featured Download The Free Racing Post Mobile App Handicap Hurdle last night at Killarney last night.

A return to the Galway Hurdle is on the agenda for The Game Changer, who got Davy Russell back amongst the winners with a pillar-to-post victory in the Wallstone Financial Novice Chase yesterday evening at Limerick.

Gordon Elliott enjoyed the most successful day of his training career when he saddled a short-priced treble in Bellewstown last night to add to his spectacular four-timer in Perth in the afternoon.

Journalist and historian, Kevin O’Brien, suggests that almost a hundred years after his death, Thomas Kent is making us look into our past in new ways as the nation prepares to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the event which sparked the birth of the Irish Republic.

Seven-times champion Pat Smullen celebrated his 38th birthday with a first and last race double in Cork last night, highlighted by the impressive victory of Variable in the concluding fillies maiden.

Hurricane Fly has frightened away most of the opposition as only eight horses have been entered for the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 25.

Clarcam made the most of a serious mistake from hot favourite Vautour to grab Grade One glory in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown yesterday.

Versatile veteran Fosters Cross proved, again, that he retains plenty of his ability when landing the featured Donal Downes Water Towers Chase in Ballinrobe last night.

Declan McDonogh makes his first visit to Ripon on Saturday and hopes it is the start of a few more frequent visits to Britain.

Aidan O’Brien and his son, Joseph, warmed up for Australia in the Irish Derby at the Curragh tomorrow when combining to land the 12 furlongs plus Maiden at Tipperary last night with Granddukeoftuscany.

Clive Brittain declared "I’m back where I belong" as he stood in the winner’s enclosure as an 80-year-old Royal Ascot winner yesterday.

Wayne Lordan produced Wannabe Better with a well-timed late surge to collar Eastern Rules and Brendan Brackan in the featured Ballycorus Stakes in Leopardstown last night.

Leopardstown report

Tom George was thrilled to enjoy a welcome change of luck at the Punchestown Festival as God’s Own caused a huge surprise in the Ryanair Novice Chase in the hands of the irrepressible Barry Geraghty.

Gordon Elliott’s Toner D’Oudairies justified favouritism with a game display to land the Grade 3 Imperial Call Chase before a more than satisfactory attendance in excess of 6,000 at Cork yesterday.

The Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the French equivalent are under consideration for Balansiya following her fine effort in defeat in Sunday’s Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial.

Aidan and Joseph O’Brien shared an early double with two-year-old fillies Dance With Another and Sparrow at the Curragh yesterday, a brace which brought the champion jockey’s tally to 121 domestic wins.

The Willie Mullins-trained French import Noble Inn and Gordon Elliott’s Gigginstown-owned newcomer Charcam looked two decent juvenile hurdling prospects when fighting out the finish of the Ballinrobe Members Club 2014 3-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle in Ballinrobe yesterday.

La Collina came with a rattling late run to take the Group One honours in the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

The John Oxx-trained, Kerisa landed the €25,000 Irish Stallion Farms Connacht Oaks, feature of last night’s flat action in Sligo.

Odds-on favourite Dabadiyan, Declan McDonogh’s only ride of the evening, completed his hat-trick and sent punters home happy when landing last night’s finale in Down Royal, Her Majesty’s Plate.

Pale Mimosa gave trainer Dermot Weld his eighth win in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes with a gutsy display at Leopardstown last night.

Indian Chief emerged as the best prospect from last night’s Students Day action in Leopardstown, justifying odds-on favouritism in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Summer Racedays Maiden and being earmarked as a possible contender for the Dante Stakes in York.

John Oxx says there is no hurry to find a replacement for Johnny Murtagh as retained rider for the Aga Khan’s Irish-trained horses.

Noel Meade and Paul Carberry completed a near 110/1 double with North Star Lad and chasing debutant Dark Prospect in Downpatrick yesterday.

Niall ‘Boots’ Madden continued his amazing run of success for owner J P McManus when Whatever It Takes landed a tidy gamble in the featured E.P.S. Pumps Handicap Hurdle in Ballinrobe last night.

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen, fresh from a reasonably successful Galway, turned their attention to Cork yesterday and duly combined to land the featured Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Give Thanks Stakes with Sapphire.

Kevin Prendergast, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has clearly lost none of the magic and was on the mark at Galway last night when Vastonea landed the featured Topaz Mile.

An extra-time tally of five points proved just enough for Charleville to claim victory over Éire Óg in this enthralling Cork IHC meeting at Mallow on Saturday night.

Declan McDonogh doubled-up on course specialists An Saighduir and Billyford in Dundalk last night.

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JOHNNY MURTAGH took a giant step towards clinching a fifth Jockeys Championship when completing a double for Michael Halford, on Katherine Lee and Eastern Rules, at Dundalk last night.

THE Adrian McGuinness trained Beau Amadeus broke his duck in style when landing the €65,000 Derrinstown Stud Birdcatcher Premier Nursery at Naas yesterday.

BLUE MOON provided trainer Kevin Ryan with his sixth success at Dundalk when leading home a British-trained one-two in the featured Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Handicap in Dundalk last night.

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ALFA BEAT, successful in the race a year earlier, did the business again when storming to victory in yesterday’s Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.

NORTHGATE, ridden by champion jockey Pat Smullen, romped to an impressive victory in Her Majesty’s Plate, feature of yesterday’s action at Down Royal.