VOLER LA VEDETTE made an impressive return to action when repeating last year’s win in the listed Grabel Mares Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday.

IN LOTS of ways, at least for me, today marks the real start of the National Hunt season. I’m at Chepstow and ride seven horses for Paul Nicholls.

BALLINROBE last Monday night created a right bit of controversy.

CHARLES Byrnes struck at the double last night, registering an across the card brace with Cyborg at Bellewstown and Alfa Beat at Wexford.

THE Aidan O’Brien-trained Zoffany bounced back from his Coventry Stakes defeat at Royal Ascot to justify 4/7 favouritism in the listed Golden Fleece 2-Y-0 Stakes, last night’s feature at Leopardstown.

JIMMY MANGAN struck for the first time at the Festival when Next Week dug deep to beat Pires in the South West Bins Novice Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

Pat Smullen notched a brace on day six of the Listowel Harvest Festival when guiding Rose Hip (13-2) to victory in the feature Guinness Handicap today.

ON the eve of a busy Guineas weekend at the Curragh, Johnny Murtagh bagged an early double on a rare visit to Wexford last night, scoring on Anam Chara and long odds-on favourite Yankee Doodle.

OUR BEN, who came into yesterday’s featured Wilf Dooly Chase at Tramore in the form of his life, suffered a fatal fall when breaking his neck at the second last.

MAGNET For Money lived up to his name when landing some decent wagers in the first division of the Ladbrokes’ Ireland Handicap Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

DECLAN McDonogh was the star of the show as Laytown staged their annual meeting on the beach yesterday.

Declan McDonogh was the star of the show as Laytown staged their annual meeting on the beach near Dublin.

JOHNNY MURTAGH rode a masterful race from the front to guide Quinmaster to success in the inaugural running of the Tote Mile EBF Handicap, formerly the McDonogh Handicap, at Galway last night

PAT SMULLEN enjoyed his trip to Ballinrobe last night, notching a double on Piltown and Reside.