Sprinter Sacre will have six rivals in tomorrow’s Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot, if the meeting survives a 4.30pm precautionary inspection today.

Bobs Worth showed his class with a convincing victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Tidal Bay heads a final field of 19 runners for tomorrow’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Hennessy Gold Cup favourite Bobs Worth’s participation in Saturday’s big race will not be confirmed until trainer Nicky Henderson has walked the course at Newbury and spoken with connections.

Trainer Mouse Morris will wait until the middle of the week before deciding whether to let First Lieutenant take his chance in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

Robbie Hennessy feels putting thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup back to tomorrow from Wednesday will have no ill effects on Rubi Light.

Quel Esprit is a strong fancy to outstay his rivals in the rescheduled thetote.com Gold Cup at the final stage of a somewhat traumatic Punchestown festival this afternoon.

QUEL ESPRIT looks the safest proposition in thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup at the second stage of the festival this evening.

Big Buck’s put more than a smile on my face with a great performance in the World Hurdle yesterday.

Roberto Goldback bids to build on his excellent second in the Irish Hennessy as he tackles 11 rivals in Sunday’s Carrickmines Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.

Plans for Magnanimity are up in the air after the eight-year-old’s run in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Plans for Magnanimity are up in the air after the eight-year-old’s run in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

The hitherto frustrating Quel Esprit finally got his act together over fences with a power-packed front-running display to land the Grade 1 Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown yesterday.

Quel Esprit booked his Cheltenham ticket when making virtually all the running to give Willie Mullins an eighth victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

DESSIE Hughes is hoping Roberto Goldback’s touch of class will see him through in the Matty Ryan Memorial Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles today.

BENEFFICIENT is the nap choice in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon, a contest in which seven of the eight runners are previous winners.

Quel Esprit and Havingotascoobydo were the most notable absentees at the final 48-hour declaration stage for the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

LEADING trainer Dessie Hughes has hailed the “sensible” decision of the Government to limit the reduction of the horse and greyhound racing fund to 1.7%.

KAUTO STONE and Wishfull Thinking were among half a dozen defectors from the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Stephen’s Day.

DAVID PIPE is intending to run Great Endeavour in the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend.

David Pipe is intending to run Great Endeavour in the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend.

THE tough Quito De La Roque is put forward as the most likely winner of the Grade 1 JNWine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal this afternoon.

LONG RUN and Kauto Star are the headline names among 19 entries for the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 19.

OUT of luck on Await The Dawn at York on Wednesday and set for a return to the Knavesmire today, Joseph O’Brien took the riding honours at Wexford last night, recording a last-gasp double on Snap Alam and Monte Carlo.

IT’S been some hectic week between the two Guineas races and then going straight into Punchestown. Fortunes have been mixed but the horses have run really well, especially in the last few days.

IT was the kind of result which makes bookmakers glad they took out a licence in the first place.

Kauto Star was pulled up as Follow The Plan won a dramatic race for the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup at the County Kildare track.

PEOPLE might think that I should be used to the build-up for all these marquee races now but while some trainers can be very relaxed, I don’t think it’s something I could ever get used to.

CAPTAIN PAULIE, disappointing at Wexford previously, was back on track in the Munster Waste Management Handicap Hurdle at a packed Cork yesterday.

Selected tips from courses in the UK and Ireland.

Let Yourself Go bids to book his ticket to Punchestown with a good performance in the Imperial Call Chase at Cork on Sunday.

SIREN’S SONG was a hot topic of discussion after last Sunday’s racing in Navan and I have to say she won the Salsabil Stakes very well. I said last week I thought she might be good and she certainly indicated that with a strong finish to win by a length and a half.

DAVID WACHMAN’S Requinto is fancied to lead his rivals a merry dance in the five furlongs Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Race at Cork this afternoon.

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

Paul Nicholls believes he has an excellent opportunity to claim an elusive success in the Grade One Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham today.

On more than one occasion here I’ve said that racing can bring you through the full range of emotions and yesterday was another illustration of that for us.

A NEW addition to the Festival, it attracts those novices that don’t possess the speed for the Arkle but similarly don’t have the stamina or will to tackle the RSA Chase.

THE first three home in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last year — Albertas Run, Poquelin and J’y Vole — are set to lock horns in the race again tomorrow.

The first three home in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last year - Albertas Run, Poquelin and J'y Vole - are set to lock horns in the race again on Thursday.

Oscars Well, Bostons Angel and Roberto Goldback have all settled in well at Cheltenham which is a relief, as you’d hate to get this far and for something to go wrong.

SOON enough the time for talking will be over but that won’t stop me as I’ll be here all next week to keep you up to date with what is happening in Cheltenham with my own runners, while offering some news from the rest of the Irish and anything else I might pick up along the way, as well as my opinion on the big races.

ALAN FLEMING has revealed Tony McCoy will partner Starluck on his chasing debut at Huntingdon on Thursday with a view to riding him in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham.

Dunguib booked his ticket for the Stan James Champion Hurdle with victory on his reappearance in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran.