Does anyone, with the possible exception of Davy Russell, Willie Mullins and whoever is lucky enough to ride the horse at home, know how good Un Atout really is?

The Gold Cup dream is still very much alive following Flemenstar’s spectacular defeat of Sir Des Champs in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase in Punchestown yesterday.

Eugene O’Sullivan’s The Blarney Rose lit up yesterday’s extremely wet Boulta point-to-point fixture by destroying the opposition in the open lightweight.

It was another great week with two winners from five runners, with the other three delighting me as well, while I was pretty hopeful that Miss Macnamara and Posh Frock would go close in Dundalk last night too.

The brilliant Sizing Europe should prove a major attraction in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel this afternoon.

A faultless, front-running display by Flemenstar in the Grade 2 Irish Form Book Fortria Chase proved the highlight of yesterday’s action in Navan.

On a day when the Willie Mullins-trained Twinlight proved best in the featured, Grade 3 Faber Audiovisuals Novice Chase, Davy Russell deservedly earned the plaudits in Galway yesterday thanks to a spectacular treble on Rogue Angel, Shrapnel and Lastoftheleaders in the first three races.

Veteran Captain Cee Bee turned over odds-on favourite Rebel Fitz in the Grade 3 Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle in Tipperary yesterday.

Seabass and Felix Yonger provided Ruby Walsh with a superb Grade 2 double at Naas yesterday.

No match for the classy So Young at Navan and back in novice company, 140-rated Trifolium ran out an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Racing UK Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday.

THOSE of us who had pencilled in Mount Benbulben as a possible Cheltenham festival winner weren’t half left gasping for breath after he was beaten out of the gate by Boston Bob in a Grade 1 hurdle at Navan last Sunday.

GORDON ELLIOTT is to have Mount Benbulben fully checked over after his defeat by Boston Bob in the Navan Novice Hurdle on Sunday.

BOSTON Bob and Zaidpour provided Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh with a big-race double at Navan yesterday, where the three scheduled chases were belatedly cancelled due to patches of frozen ground.

THOSE who traded at long odds-on Willie Mullins’ Golden Silver, in the featured Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase at Cork yesterday, will surely re-invest in some lottery tickets this week!